


The Stranger Is Forever You

by Heartwriter2607



Series: The Stranger Is You [3]
Category: Archie Comics, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, Archie plays in a band, Arguing, Back to Riverdale!, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Heartbreak, Heavy Angst, Love, Mutual Pining, Naval Academy, Near Future, Riverdale FBI Station, Romance, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, The highs and lows of falling in and out of love, Third Part of "The Stranger Is You" Series, Time Jump!, Trauma, War, Weddings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:01:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 145,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27507271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heartwriter2607/pseuds/Heartwriter2607
Summary: Third and last part of the "The Stranger Is You"-Series!Archie Andrews returns to Riverdale dressed in his Navy Uniform, with three new friends by his side and a guitar in his hands, ready to attend Veronica Lodges big wedding day.Betty Cooper returns to Riverdale freshly graduated from Yale University, a small FBI badge attached to her belt and a good-looking and charming man by her side.Four years after parting ways in New York City, Archie and Betty meet each other again.The town where it all started seems to draw them back together again and between wedding preparations, colorful festivals and numerous tries to settle down again, they’re forced to face their turbulent past.
Relationships: Archie Andrews & Betty Cooper, Archie Andrews/Betty Cooper, Barchie - Relationship
Series: The Stranger Is You [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1788499
Comments: 231
Kudos: 308





	1. What will you leave out, what will you say?

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! :)  
> I recommend reading the first 2 parts "The Stranger Is Always You" and "The Stranger Is Still You" first!  
> Hope you guys like this story as well… it took us ages to finally return to Riverdale for good. Betty and Archie will reunite in the Town of Pep and things are about to get chaotic once again. 
> 
> Youtube Trailer for this story: https://youtu.be/Lfcp_JLnCBg
> 
> Follow me on twitter for updates on my stories: @heartwriter2607
> 
> Take care! xx

**"And if someone asks you about me one day,**

**what will you leave out, what will you say?"**

**Niocra Kladsfelm**

_24th of December 2021 –_ **9 weeks after New York**

It’s not easy to let go of something, that once meant the world to you. And sometimes moving on feels impossible.

Because how on earth is Betty Cooper supposed to erase Archie Andrews out of her life?

How is she supposed to turn away from him? How is she supposed to keep going without him by her side?

On Christmas Eve in the year 2021, Betty Cooper finally starts to realize that maybe, one day, she might be able to actually let go of him.

The moment he rejected her call and showed her in a silent but also straight way that they have reached the end of their story, she knows that their life’s might have been interwoven… but now she can’t even feel one little connection to the guy who has been dancing around her for the past 17 years.

Archie Andrews was always right on the other side of her bedroom window.

But now he is nothing more than a memory.

**•••**

_14_ _ th _ _of April 2022 –_ **_6 months after New York_ **

Even though Betty tries everything in her power, she can’t ignore that the 14th of April remains a special day.

It’s Archie’s birthday.

And she absolutely hates that she still cares about him.

It’s been six months since the weekend in New York happened and Betty finally reached some point of normality and a pleasant everyday life.

She came back to New Haven right in January, drowning in schoolwork and learning material… and that was a good thing. Because thinking about College was a welcomed distraction from everything she went through within the last year and even though it might not be a very good quality of her, Betty is almost perfect in trying to focus on her new life.

A new life without problems.

A life without heartbreak.

A life without Archie Andrews.

But even though Betty tried to be perfect since she was a little girl, trying to move on wasn’t as easy as she thought it would be.

She spends the day sitting in her dorm room, talking with Jane about every single topic that crosses her mind, all of them very light-hearted and mostly nonsense. Jane never complained about that and Betty tries to tell her through forced smiles and short hugs, that she is glad that someone is talking with her while she is trying to find a way though the empty-looking future that is now laying in front of her.

When the Easter Holidays come around, her mom wants her to visit the family.

“I can’t”, she explained over the phone, her voice maybe a bit too hard. “I… have a lot of school stuff to do mom. I won’t pass the exam in two weeks if I won’t take the time to study this weekend”.

It’s a lie and both Cooper women know that.

“Alright honey”, Alice Cooper says after a while. “So, stay in New Haven and study for this test. But I expect you to be _perfect_ ”.

And so, Betty tries to avoid returning to Riverdale at any cost.

But she can try it as much as she wants… on the 14th of April, she still sits on her bed, starring at Archie’s old profile picture which hasn’t been changed since summer last year. It’s a pretty photo, taken during one of his training sessions at the sport area outside of the Academy while he is sitting on one of the many green benches, his red hair shining in the sun, his brown eyes smiling into the camera.

She catches herself wondering if he changed his number or if he simply doesn’t care about updating his profile anymore, until she realizes that she shouldn’t even think about such things anymore.

 _Stop thinking about him_ ; she admonishes herself while she puts the phone back into her pocket. _He isn’t thinking about you too._

**•••**

_29_ _ th _ _of June 2022 –_ **_8 months after New York_ **

Betty spends her 21st birthday in a bar downtown… voluntarily or not.

Jane is the one that nearly forces her to put on a dress and Evan drives them to the club. They meet a few other people from class and even though Betty only wanted a nice evening watching TV in her bed, this party night actually feels a bit refreshing.

She dances and laughs and drinks legally for the first time in her life and she smiles while she moves to the music, wondering why she hasn’t been this happy for such a long, long time.

“I missed this!”, she yells inside Jane’s ear while the two girls dance to an old pop song and her roommate only smiles and nods, understanding that Betty not only means this party, she also missed being carefree and happy.

They stay at the club until the sun rises the next morning and Evan drives them home while he laughs over their wasted faces.

“That was fun”, Betty only mumbles on the passenger seat beside him, her head spinning but the smile on her lips is real.

“Yeah, it was”. Even though Evan didn’t even drink one sip, he still grins while he drives towards the Dormitory. “Was about time for some fun, don’t you think?”

She knows damn well what he means by that.

The last few months haven’t been easy, and Betty knows that Evan tried his best to lift her mood from time to time, making silly jokes during their study lessons or buying her some frozen yoghurt while walking back to the classes.

But for the very first time, Betty feels like she can smile again.

So, the following words come over her lips in a light way, her voice sounding like a hum. “Yes”.

She turns her head around, taking a look at Jane sleeping on the backseat and she smiles at Evan beside her, knowing that she should be thankful for friends like them. “It was about time”.

**•••**

_20th of December 2022 –_ **_One year and two months after New York_ **

December 2022 is the first time Betty Cooper returns to Riverdale after New York.

It’s weird to drive these old streets and it’s even weirder to step inside her old bedroom after giving her mom several hugs in the living room.

“It feels strange to be back here”, she tells Jane over the phone while she stares out of the window, her eyes drawn to the house in front of her. “It’s been over a year…”.

“Enjoy the holidays, Betty”, is Jane’s answer to that. “The next semester will be hard… relax a little. Spent some time with your mom.”

“I will”. She turns around, tearing her eyes away from the window. “Happy holidays, Jane”.

“Happy holidays, Betty”.

**•••**

_31_ _ st _ _of December 2022 –_ **_One year and two months after New York_ **

One week after her return to Riverdale, Betty meets Mary Andrews at POP’s.

They nearly bump into each other at the front door and after a short moment of shock, Betty greets her with a warm smile and a hug.

“It’s so nice to see you, Betty. You look great!” Mary is warm and kind like always at she mirrors so many details from Archie, that Betty just stares at her for a few seconds.

“You look great as well”, she brings out with a smile. “I… I didn’t know you are in town over the holidays”.

“Oh, yeah Brooke and I are trying to switch up places from time to time. One holiday at her place and the next one here in Riverdale”.

“Sounds good”. Betty tries her best to stay calm and to be honest, a small part of her is a bit relieved to hear that Archie isn’t here as well. But there is another voice in her head to just won’t shut up and is asking repeatedly about him.

It stays silent between the two women for a long moment while a few people walk around them, entering the little Diner to order some burgers and the famous milkshakes.

Betty doesn’t want to ask about him, but the questions whirl around inside her head like a storm while she wonders if they are also written on her face.

“Archie isn’t here…”. Mary Andrews has the gift of reading people’s mind and when Betty was younger, she used to hate that ability. But now it’s kind of a blessing.

“He’s staying in Maryland most of the time… playing in his band”. Mary tries to sound casual while she gives Betty these information’s, but they both know how heavy this topic is.

Betty wants to say something but all she can do is nod.

“I know that he… he hurt you Betty”. And suddenly a huge amount of pain appears on Mary’s face while she finally stops dancing around the topic. “And I can’t even tell you how sorry I am for this”.

The red-haired woman takes a long look at the girl next door before she adds: “But I’m glad to see that you’re alright.”

What is she even supposed to say to that?

“I have to go, Betty… it was so nice to see you again”. Mary takes a small step forward, pulling Betty into a short hug before she leaves the small restaurant and Betty just stares out of the glass-door for a solid minute, trying to progress the things she just heard.

Archie is playing in a band now?

Then she remembers the night she visited him in Annapolis, and he performed with the brunette girl and the long-haired guy at this one pub.

 _Sarah and Jerry;_ she remembers.

It’s funny how some memories just wont disappear… and it’s also funny that she still cares enough about all of this, that the whole conversation with Mary stays on her mind all the way back home.

_Archie plays in a band. Archie is happy. Archie is living a new life._

_And that’s what he wanted, right?_

Betty stares up to the sky that night, counting down the last ten seconds from 2022, hugging her mom and FP when the clock strikes midnight and fireworks explode at the icy night-sky.

She remembers all the New Years Eve’s she’d spent right here during her childhood and the memories where she ran over the sidewalk to the Andrew’s house, giving Archie her first hug every new year, giving him a kiss on the cheek while they laughed about the fireworks around them.

It’s funny how the past seems to haunt you sometimes.

“Happy New York!”, Jellybean yells beside her and Betty’s eyes are drawn to the colors above her, a weird mixture of happiness, longing, sadness and anger running through her veins.

 _2023 will be a good year;_ she decides in this very moment.

_In 2023, I will make new memories that won’t hurt when I think about them in the future._

**•••**

_11th of April 2023 –_ **_One and a half years after New York_ **

Eighteen months after New York, Betty fails an important math exam.

“I’m sorry…”, she says to Evan while they sit in the library on a Wednesday afternoon, the test papers laying on the desk between them, her eyes tired while she stares at the black-haired guy in front of her. “You did such a good job with teaching me this… I don’t know how that happened”.

He twirls a pen around his fingers. “I’m sorry as well… I mean you asked me to teach you this crap. It’s kind of my fault as well when you fail”.

A short laugh escapes her lips while she stares at the papers on the wooden desk. “It’s definitely not your fault. You’re already doing so much more for me than you should and…”.

“… and you know I would do twice as much for you as well”, he interrupts her softly and she lifts her gaze to look up to him, not quite sure what he means with that.

Silence spreads between them.

“Evan, I…”. She begins to speak without knowing what to say and just like that her words disappear, and her voice hangs in the air like whisper.

There is something familiar showing in his dark eyes when he speaks again. “You know that I care for you Betty, right?”

“I know”, she replies quickly, and he shakes his head with a quiet laugh, obviously amused over the way how she still doesn’t understand.

“No, Betty you… you really don’t know, do you? I mean… it’s been almost two years since we started this, and I know we’re friends and I love that”. He lays the pen down while he speaks, and she wants to interrupt him several times but can’t find the fitting words to say.

“And you know that I’m so glad that we’re friends now… but I thought by now you would know that I like you, Betty.” He smiles softly, even though the look on her face is painted with shock and a bit of horror.

 _No, no, no, no, no._

_Evan, I can’t do this._

_Evan, I’m sorry but I think we should stay friends._

_Evan, I don’t want to love anyone ever again… not even you._

The truth is, Betty could speak out all of these words inside her head out loud… but not one real explanation comes over her lips.

She stands up from her chair and grabs the papers from the desk, pushing them inside her bag, crumbling the documents while doing so. “I need to go…”, she only says, not even able to look him in the eyes.

“Betty, can we please talk about this?”, he asks but she turns around without looking back, not wanting to face a problem that could destroy one of the most important friendships she made in New Haven.

“I’m sorry”, is all she says while she nearly runs out of the library, her heart aching inside her chest.

**•••**

_29th of April 2023 –_ **_One and a half years after New York_ **

Betty avoids meeting Evan for solid two weeks.

And she also manages to keep their last conversation from the library a secret, even though Jane seems to know that something is wrong.

“Are you and Evan fighting about something?”, is Jane’s question on the 29th of May while they get dressed inside their dorm room, both of them putting on some party dresses.

It’s a Friday night and Betty was the one that suggested to go dancing in a club this weekend.

She turns around at Jane’s question, pulling her shoulder-long hair out of her low bun. “Why do you ask?”

“Because I saw him in the hallway this morning and he looked _horrible_ ”.

“Oh”, is all Betty says to ted, turning to her mirror to put on a silver necklace.

“I _knew_ you have something to do with it. That’s the reason you wanted to go dancing alone tonight… tell me what happened”.

“Jane… this is something between Evan and me”, is all Betty answers, her voice a bit harsher than she intended.

“Alright, alright… I just wanted to ask”.

They don’t speak about Evan again this night.

The club downtown is crowded and a bit too small for that many people but somehow Betty absolutely loves it.

She orders them shots and long-drinks and dances for several hours on the small dance-floor.

Around 2 in the morning, she meets a guy at the bar.

His name is Max and he works at a small business on the other side of the town.

The lights aren’t bright enough for Betty to see if his eye color is blue or green and if his hair is blonde or light-brown… but at one point she doesn’t even care anymore because this guy seems nice and he buys her drinks and all above, he is the perfect distraction for every single problem she faces in this moment.

Betty doesn’t want a relationship that will end in flames again.

Betty doesn’t want to face the real problems right now.

Betty doesn’t want a lot of things but all above she is tired of feeling alone.

She knows the look in this guy’s eyes, she knows what he wants when his hand glides over the skin of her arm. And somehow, this right here seems to be the perfect solution for all her problems.

So, she searches Jane in the crowd, telling her that she should go home without her.

“You’re sure about this?”, her best friend asks her, and she nods honestly while she gives her a hug and five dollars for the taxi ride.

This is the very first time Betty Cooper has a one-night-stand.

It’s also the first time she sleeps with someone after New York.

And she absolutely hates it.

Max is great, Max is loving… but Max is also a stranger that obviously isn’t the answer to all her questions.

She wanted to feel someone that night, she wanted company, she wanted to feel the warmth of another body against her skin without any commitment.

But while Max is falling asleep beside her and she is tangled in his bedsheets, her green eyes staring at the dark ceiling, she feels the guilt and sadness rising in her chest.

She leaves the next morning before he wakes up and instead of calling for a cab, she walks all the way back to the University.

It’s a cloudy day and her hair flies through the spring air while she walks on the streets of New Haven, her arms tightly wrapped around her body, her little purse hanging over her lowered shoulder.

The moment she catches her reflection in one of the many store windows beside her, shock spreads in her body. Her hair looks horrific, her whole posture is curved, showing the shame she is feeling inside, and she knows that if her mother would see her in this dress at the age of 16, she would have been grounded for at least two months.

That’s when she realizes that she is still broken inside.

Maybe not as much as in the time right after New York… but there is a sorrow inside her that she doesn’t really know how to fight.

Tears run over her cheeks while she takes one step after another, slowly making her way back to the Dormitory.

It’s 10 in the morning when she finally reaches the outdoor area of the university and it’s still early enough that she doesn’t meet much people while she walks over the grass area.

Right when she wants to enter the backdoor of the university, she spots a black-haired guy sitting at one of the many benches outside the building, his eyes lowered to the phone in his hands.

_Evan._

She stands still for what feels like a hundred minutes until she realizes that maybe solving her problems means that she has to face them in the first place.

So, she turns back around but instead of walking towards Evan, she takes another direction, making her way to the small frozen yoghurt show at the end of the street.

Five minutes later she returns with two cups of yoghurt in her hands and walks towards the black-haired guy. The moment she sits down beside him he looks up and sees her, surprise and a bit of shock on his face.

“Here”, Betty says while she reaches him one of the cups.

He doesn’t even move; he just keeps looking at her face while she knows that she is looking like a ghost right now. Her hair is a mess, her eyes are red, and her makeup is a disaster at this point.

“ _Here_ ”, she repeats with a whisper, pointing at her hand and he finally takes the cup, his eyes falling to the yoghurt she reaches him.

“Are you okay?” There is a huge amount of worry in his voice while his eyes return to her face.

That’s the moment she decides to be honest with him.

“No”, she whispers without any real emotion inside her words. “No, I don’t think I am”.

Her eyes fall to her hands that are clutched around the yoghurt cup. “I’m so sorry Evan”, she finally manages with a thin voice. “I should have talked to you; I shouldn’t have left you there in the library without saying anything”.

Wind breezes through her hair the next time she looks up and her eyes stare the green grass right in front of them. “I guess… I guess I didn’t know how to handle everything”.

She takes a deep breath while a devastated smile appears on her face. “I think I’m broken, Evan”.

The moment her voice breaks and new tears run down her cheeks he is right by her side, his arms wrapping around her body like a blanket. “Hey, you’re not. You’re not”, he repeats slowly.

“No, you don’t understand”, she replies with her face buried against his black hoodie. “I’m a bad person, I make bad mistakes”. Memories of the last night flash through her mind while new tears stream over her face. “It was wrong to turn you down like this two weeks ago, but I did it because I’m scared. I’m so damn scared to feel something”.

The second the words come over her mouth she realizes what her problem is. She is scared of loving someone… and she is scared of the heartbreak that love usually brings.

“I don’t want to feel something for someone… I guess I never really processed what happened two years ago and I don’t think I ever will. I thought I could, I really believed that everything is okay. But now I know that I’m a mess, Evan. I want to feel, and I don’t want to feel. I want to be alone and I don’t want to be alone.”

She could laugh about how silly her explanation sounds but Evan just listens to her voice while her tears soak into his sweater.

“I like you”, she whispers against his chest and it feels refreshing to say it out loud. “I really like you Evan… but I don’t know if that’s enough. I don’t think that I’ll ever be able for something more than that”.

Her voice gets carried away with the soft spring wind while she softly repeats. “But I like you”.

“I know”. When he finally speaks, his words are warm and slow. “And Betty, I don’t think you’re a bad person and trust me, you’re able to love and to feel. And I’m not mad at you about what happened in the library. I’m actually glad that you told me all of this, you know?”

When she is winding herself out of his arms and looks up to him, there is a natural, small smile in the corner of his mouth, paired with sadness in his eyes.

“I am scared”, she explains softly, instantly hoping with all her heart that he understands her words.

“I know”. He reaches out and brushes some hairs out of her face and her heart hurts for a moment while she realizes that this feeling seems familiar.

She stares at his face for a long while, trying to figure out what exactly she feels for this guy right in front of her.

The next time she speaks, her voice is clearer but quiet. “Can we take this slow?”

And with _this_ she means everything.

_I need time to fully heal._

_I need time to know what I want._

_I need time to learn how to love again._

His eyes meet hers while she watches the understanding, the joy and the surprise appearing on his face.

“We have all the time in the world”.

**•••**

_29th of June 2023 –_ **_Almost two years after New York_ **

On her 22nd birthday, Evan surprised Betty with a trip to a lake an hour away from New Haven.

They leave the University early in the morning and reach the lake around 10am, spending the whole day at the water, swimming from one side to the other, eating at the little restaurant behind the parking lot and laying in the sun.

It’s pleasant to spent so much time with Evan and Betty realizes that with every day he smiles at her, she opens up a little bit more, fighting away the demons who controlled her for way too long.

When they get back to the University that evening and he wants to say goodbye to her in front of her dorm room, she decides that maybe she needs to fight her demons a little bit harder.

So, she takes a surprising step forward, gets up on her tiptoes and touches his lips with her own for a brief moment, testing out the feeling of closeness with her heart nearly jumping out of her chest.

When she opens her eyes again, he is look at her way more surprised than she thought he would be and an honest comes over her lips, a laugh that is so honest and true that she could cry of happiness.

“Betty are you sure that- “.

“I am”, is her answer and she smiles up to him, thanking god that finally some kind of real emotion returned to her body.

That’s the first day she ever kissed Evan Campbell.

It’s also the first day she realizes that she never wants to do anything else again.

**•••**

_4_ _ th _ _of September 2023 –_ **_Almost two years after New York_ **

The first time Betty sleeps with Evan, Jane walks in on them.

It was a Friday evening and Jane left to visit Oliver for the weekend, when Evan came over to Betty’s room to pick her up for dinner. But things changed, plans changed and all above Betty changed and five minutes later they were laying on her bed when Jane burst into the room.

“Hey, I forgot- OH GOD, I’M SORRY”. The brunette girl with the big glasses grabs her keys from the little table beside her bed before rushing out of the room again, shutting the door with a loud crash.

Betty and Evan stare at each other for a few seconds before they break out in laughter.

That’s one of the many things Betty likes about Evan.

She can always laugh with him.

**•••**

_27_ _ th  _ _of November 2023 –_ **_Two years after New York_ **

Betty brings Evan home for Thanksgiving.

It’s a little weird when she watches him walk through her front yard and he steps through her front door but the moment her mom shakes Evan’s hand and she sees the joyful and happy look on Alice’s face, she knows this is the right thing.

“So, how long have you two been together?”, FP asks during dinner the same day and Betty looks at Evan who is sitting right beside her, taking his hand while she speaks.

“A couple of months now”.

FP smiles while he eats the turkey, his eyes drifting between Evan and Betty.

“I think you two are a lovely couple”, Alice adds with her brightest smile and Betty can’t help but roll her eyes. _Of course, mom… he’s like the perfect son in law you always pictured for me… someone with a rich family… someone that has a good education… someone that isn’t living in Riverdale._

They lay in Betty’s old bed that night, but somehow the blonde girl can’t sleep. The moonlight that is shining through her window is almost blinding her in an unbearable way.

After one hour of desperately waiting for sleep, she finally gets up and walks to the window, closing the curtains with one fast move, her eyes watching how the sight of the window next door disappears.

“What was that all about?”, Evan asks sleepy when she gets back into the bed.

“The moonlight bothered me”, she explains while she lays her head on his chest, closing her eyes while he pulls her closer.

“It never bothered you in New Haven”.

She doesn’t say a thing to that and keeps her eyes closed, praying to god that it was really the moonlight that was keeping her awake.

**•••**

_21_ _ st _ _of February 2024 –_ **_Two and a half years after New York_ **

Right before the final exams of the Yale University, Betty visits Veronica in New York.

Her and Evan decide to take a weekend-trip to the big city to visit his parents and Betty links that with seeing her old best friend again.

Evan’s parents are nice and welcome her lovingly and they talk all day about Yale and how Evan always wanted to study there.

“I really hope your parents like me”, Betty says to Evan the next day when she is about to leave for a few hours to see Veronica at a Café downtown.

“They love you”, Evan replies while she puts on her coat and boots. “And you know why?”

“Why?” She grabs her bag from the fancy clothes rack beside the front door when Evan pulls her into his arms in a soft move.

“Because _I love you_ ”. His words are simple and honest and the smile on his face is thin but real while she looks up to him, totally caught off guard.

It’s the first time one of them used these special three words and even though they have been together for a while now, Betty doesn’t find the right words to answer. “I…I…”.

“You don’t have to say anything to that”, he answers, and she knows by the look on his face that he actually means what he’s saying.

She gives him a kiss to fill the awkward silence and leaves with a short “I’ll be back later”.

Meeting Veronica in the middle of Manhattan feels exciting and weird at the same time.

“The last time we’ve seen each other was at my Birthday Party two and a half years ago”, the raven-haired girl says while she orders them something that sounds so extraordinary, that Betty doesn’t even know the name of the drinks.

“Yeah… crazy how time flies”, Betty answers while she tries to ignore the memories of that one haunted night she stepped on a rooftop in this big city, and got her heart broken under the cold night-sky.

“Absolutely. Now tell me everything about Evan. I’m dying to know every little detail”.

They talk over an hour about Betty’s love life and how everything changed in the last year.

“I love that you’re happy, B. I’m so glad that you found someone like Evan”.

“Thank you, V. But what about you? Don’t tell me Veronica Lodge doesn’t have a boyfriend?”

And so, Betty finds out that Veronica actually had something like a relationship a couple of months ago, but it turned out to be nothing serious.

“I think I will return to Riverdale this summer”, Veronica confesses at one point. “College is over in three months… and I think I’ve seen enough of New York. My parents are still in Riverdale… and I think I want to go back for at least a little while… what about you?”

“I’m actually thinking about attending the FBI program after this summer…”, Betty explains with a small smile in the corner of her mouth. “I mean there are a lot of different things I would love to do after Yale… but I think the FBI thing is currently my biggest interest”.

“Come with me back to Riverdale!”, Veronica suddenly blurts out, the look of a new idea written on her face. “Doesn’t your brother Charles work there at the FBI station? You could get a job there”.

“I don’t know, V”, Betty answers with a torn look on her face. “It’s not like I haven’t thought about that option… but I don’t know if Evan would like it in Riverdale”.

A smile appears on Veronica’s face and a moment passes by until she says: “You really love him, don’t you?”

Her question surprises Betty. _Do I love Evan?_

“I mean you’re planning your future with him… sounds pretty serious to me”, Veronica adds with a smirk and Betty smiles. “Yeah… I guess it is”.

And the more Betty thinks about Veronica’s words, the more she realizes that she is actually in love with Evan.

_I love that I feel safe by his side._

_I love that everything is so simple._

_I love that he is a part of my future… and he actually wants to stay by my side._

When Betty and Veronica go their separate ways after this evening, they promise each other to stay in contact the upcoming weeks.

And when Betty returns to Evan’s apartment and he opens the door, she jumps into his arms, pressing her lips against his. “I love you too”.

Maybe he is surprised by her words, maybe he isn’t.

The only thing that Betty cares for is the smile on Evan’s lips and the future she wants to start with him.

**•••**

_5th of May 2024 –_ **_Two and a half years after New York_ **

Betty and Evan visit Riverdale in May for a very special and also spontaneous wedding.

„I’m so happy for you mom!“ The blonde girl hugs Alice Cooper tightly right after the short but beautiful ceremony in the little church of Riverdale, admiring the beauty of her mother’s white wedding dress. „You look gorgeous“.

„Thanks honey… I’m so glad you’re here“. Alice smiles at her daughter when they break apart again, right before FP joins them with a hand full of champagne.

He reaches her and Evan two glasses while wearing a smile that seems almost a bit too wide for his face. „To be true, I never thought this day would come… but here we are, on a sunny day in this small and cursed town, celebrating our wedding.“

„Cheers to that“, Alice adds and they all clink their glasses in the middle of their small circle.

The wedding party is held in the garden of the Cooper-Jones house and only a small group of the family is invited.

The sun is already setting when Betty is on heir way to the buffet when she stumbles into Jughead Jones.

„Oh, hey!“, she says, answering the smile on his face with her own while they welcome each other with a short but tender hug. „Haven’t seen you in a while“.

„Yeah, life got kind of busy“, Jughead admits with a little smirk on his face while Betty stares up to his freshly cut hair, wondering when exactly he decided to throw his old beanie away. Her eyes wander away from his face, finding a beautiful black-haired girl in the small crowd behind the house. Jughead’s new girlfriend is a real beauty and Betty is more than glad to see him happy.

„Jessica seems nice“, Betty admits with a smile.

„Yeah, she’s great“. There is a light-red color appearing on Jughead’s cheeks while he speaks and she can’t help but smile at his reaction.

He looks down at her, his eyes filled with gratefulness. „Looks like we’re brother and sister now, huh?“

A laughter escapes her mouth while she nods. „Yup… who would have thought“.

There is nothing much more to say while they just smile at each other, silently agreeing that they’re both happy about the current turn of events in their family.

„Betty… I’m sorry about what happened with Archie and you.“ Jughead’s sudden statement catches her off guard and she keeps the whirl of buried anger and sadness inside her hidden under a slightly nervous looking smile.

„That’s over now“, she simply answers. „I have Evan and I’m more than happy“.

„I know. I see the way he looks at you and I see the way you look back at him“. Jughead smiles while he takes a sip from his glass of champagne, his eyes finding Betty’s boyfriend sitting at one of the few tables spread in the small garden.

„It’s just a shame, you know?“ He shrugs his shoulders while he takes one of the plates on the table beside them, turning around while he speaks. „When I wrote the stories about Riverdale… I always wrote you and Archie as the couple that would last forever“.

And with that he walks away from her, joining Jessica at their table, leaving Betty with the sour taste of a future a book version of herself created.

**•••**

29th of June 2024 – **Almost three years after New York**

On her 22. Birthday, Betty tells Evan that she wants to attend the FBI training program in Riverdale.

„Charles talked to me about everything. The program would be for two years and I could work at every FBI station in the states after that.“

Evan’s face is a bit emotionless while she talks to him. They sit in their old seats in the library for the very last time before they will have to leave Yale after the final exams the following week.

„But why Riverdale?“, Evan finally says after a whole minute of silence, nothing more than curiosity in his voice.

„Because it seems like the right thing to do… I would love to work with Charles“. Betty searches for the right words for a moment, the insecurity in her voice more than obvious. „And to be honest… I really want to go back to my hometown. At least for a little while. Polly is back in town with the twins… Veronica is returning next month as well and I don’t know… maybe it seems childish and stupid to think this way, but after four years of New Haven and weekend trips… I really want to go back to Riverdale“.

Silence follows her words, before she adds. „But Evan… that decision isn’t final. I didn’t agree to anything specifically. I wanted to talk to you first and… I know we wanted to move in together and I also know that you wanted to go back to New York to work at your fathers company.“

She grabs his hand softly, smiling at him understandingly. „And I want you to know that I totally understand when you say that you don’t want to live in Riverdale“.

Evan looks at er for almost an eternity, his thoughts written on his face like a poem. When he finally answers, his voice is slow but filled with warmth. „I’ll go to Riverdale with you“.

His words hang in the room for a long moment until she responds. „Really?“

A small smile breaks over his head. „Yes, _really_. I don’t care about New York. I don’t care about my fathers business… I only care about you. And when you want to go to Riverdale for a while… I’ll follow you, Cooper“.

The relief is painted all over Betty’s face while she hugs him tightly, smiling over his shoulder while she realizes that after four long years, she’ll finally return to her hometown.

„We’re moving to Riverdale“, she breathes happily and he nods while pressing a short kiss to the side of her head.

„Yes, we are“.

**•••**

_15th of September 2024 –_ **_Almost three years after New York_ **

Returning to the small town with pep feels weird.

And saying goodbye to Jane McKenzie is more than sad. Both girls cry while they hug each other one last time, promising that they'll stay in touch.

Evan and Betty drive with two cars, both stuffed with all kinds of clothes and items they bought in the last four years.

Betty is glad that Evan isn’t able to see the reaction on her face the moment they pass the Welcome in Riverdale sign on this Saturday evening while nostalgia rises inside Betty’s chest.

 _Home sweet home;_ she mumbles the moment they park their cars on front of the Cooper-Jones house. The later summer sun is already setting behind the building, throwing deep shadows over the street while Betty and Evan grab their bags to carry them through the front yard.

„Don’t worry“, the blonde girl winks at the dark haired guy. „We’ll only stay here until we find an apartment. It won’t be for long“.

„Oh, I’m fine with staying here for a while“, Evan only replies with a small smile the moment the front door gets ripped open and Alice Jones welcomes them with her widest smile.

„Betty! Evan! You’re finally here!“

„Because I think your mother kind of likes me“, he admits quietly under his breath and Betty can’t help but to hide a smile.

„Of course she likes you“. You’re basically the _perfect_ guy.

**•••**

_27th of December 2024 –_ **_Three years and two months after New York_ **

Right after Christmas 2024, Betty and Evan move into an apartment of the new _Lodge-hotel_ at the end of the town. Veronica kept her word and returned to Riverdale right after her graduation at Barnard, starting her own business with opening her very own hotel.

„You two will love the apartment! It’s one of our best!“, she said when they moved their stuff to the fifth floor earlier that day, smiling from one ear to the other while showing them every detail in this new-build building.

„This place is amazing, V“. Betty says with wide eyes right after leaving Evan in their room and she is following Veronica through the several, beige painted floors.

Suddenly the raven-haired girl turns around to her, an excited expression on her pretty face. „Reggie proposed to me, Betty… yesterday“. The smile on her lips gets even bigger while she reaches out her hand, showing Betty the ring on her finger. „… and I said yes“.

„Oh my god“, is all Betty can get out before the both girls share a tight hug filled with happiness. „That’s amazing, Veronica! I’m so happy for you two!! Congratulations!“

Even though Reggie and Veronica have been a couple for the last four months now, these news are a big surprise. Veronica told Betty many times that getting back with Reggie after her years in New York were one of the best decisions she ever made and that her feelings for him returned the same day, she met him at the supermarket last September.

Many dates followed and Betty didn’t miss the looks these two threw at each other every time she saw them in town together. The sparks between Veronica and Reggie were brighter than the stars at the night sky.

Reggie is now graduated from the Riverdale Community College and Co-founder of the Lodge-Hotel. 

„We made business together before“, Veronica explained Betty the moment she and Reggie signed the papers for this project back in October. „I have a good feeling about this“.

And now, two months later, she isn’t only an owner of one of the most stylish hotels in the whole area, she is also engaged to a man who is willing to do anything for her.

„He made the proposal yesterday. God Betty, I’m so happy… Reggie and I are getting married“. There are tears of joy in her black eyes while she smiles at the blonde girl.

„I’m so happy for you, V… that’s amazing“.

„It is, isn’t it?“, the dark haired girl says in a dreamy way. „I always dreamt about the perfect wedding since I was a little girl… can’t believe my dreams are finally coming true“.

Betty just smiles at her, admiring the honest and beautiful expression on the face of one of her best friends, while a little part of her remembers the days she was dreaming about getting married as well.

But those were silly dreams at a silly age.

Betty isn’t ten anymore… and the dreams she had back then have become nothing more than a fantasy.

**•••**

_3rd of May 2025 –_ **_Almost four years after New York_ **

The sun is already setting when Betty leaves her office around 6 pm on this Friday afternoon, her bag hanging over her shoulder, her brows furrowed while her head spins around the cases she had to face today.

„You did great today, Betty!“

She turns around, watching Charles walking over the parking lot towards his own car while he waves at her with a soft smile.

„It’s not easy“, she honestly answers while she opens her own car, throwing her bag to the passenger seat.

Her older brother only laughs in a compassionate way. „I know. It never is“.

They share a look of understanding before he adds. „But you’re doing great, Betty. I’m convinced that this is the right thing for you“.

„I believe that too“, she admits, a little smile in the curve of her mouth. „I like challenges, you know?“

„Of course, I know“, Charles replies with a quiet laugh. „You’re Betty Cooper. You not only like challenges, you also face and overcome them“.

He opens his own car before he adds: „Greet Alice from me when you see her tonight. Tell her I’m sorry that I can’t make it“.

„I don’t think she’ll ever forgive you for not showing up at her monthly dinner“, Betty answers with an ironic laugh. „But I’ll try… see you on Monday!“

They wave at each other one last time before she gets inside her car.

Since all of her children are back in town, Alice Jones tried her best to bring them all together at least once every month by inviting them to dinner at her house.

It’s always nice to talk with FP or Jellybean again, after spending the last four years living several hours away from them and it’s also great to get to talk to Charles outside of work. The only person missing is Jughead who got a job in Iowa and is now living with Jessica in an old apartment.

Betty never thought that she would like it to have such a big family, but after all the drama that happened with her father during her teenage years, she finally starts to realize how good family can make you feel.

She parks her car at the Lodge-Hotel a few minutes later, meeting Evan at their apartment.

„You’re ready?“, she asks him while she changes her High Heels to some old sneakers and he grabs the keys from the small table beside the door, giving her a kiss followed by a smile. „Ready“.

The dinner is as delicious as always and they talk about Evan’s job at the chancellery and about Jellybeans upcoming prom night at school.

„Prom sucks“, the now eighteen year old girl says with a grimace on her face. „I hate dresses and I hate dancing.“

„Oh honey, prom night can be wonderful“, Alice responds with a rebuking look on her face. „Ask Betty. She loved prom“.

Suddenly all eyes are on her while she tries to hide the mixed emotions on her face. „Yeah… it’s… great“, she brings out with a small smile, memories of good and memories of bad flashing through her mind in this very moment. But these are memories of a time she tried to erase out of her mind for several years now and she won’t bring them up tonight.

They say goodbye to everyone right after dinner, thanking Alice for the meal in front of the open-end front door.

„Oh wait“, Betty suddenly blurts out, turning on her heels. „I need to get something out of my room. I left one of my old bags here the last time. I’ll be right back“.

So, she leaves Evan and her mom in the dark front yard and rushes back inside and up the stairs.

It’s always a weird feeling to enter her old room and she can’t help but smile at the sight of her old, pink walls and the many pictures that are still scattered around the room.

She walks towards her old closet, searching for the bag a solid minute, only to find it at the other side of the room right beside her bed. The moment she reaches for the small thing her phone vibrates in her pocket and she takes a look at the display.

_„I JUST BOUGHT MY WEDDING DRESS!! GONNA SEND YOU PICS LATER!!“ - **Veronica Lodge, 9:47 pm**_

There is a warm smile spreading on Betty’s face while she imagines Veronica in a big, white dress.

She puts the phone back in her pockets and turns around. But before she leaves the room, her eyes automatically find their way to the window to her right and she looks right through the glass for a long moment.

It’s funny that after all these years, her subconscious seems to be drawn to this window like a moth to a flame.

The house next door is empty, not even one light is on but for one second, she actually thinks that she saw something moving on the other side of the window next door.

She keeps standing there, starring through the glass for a long moment until she realizes how stupid her behavior seems.

_Great. Now my past seems to be a ghost who is haunting me._

So, she turns around, leaves the room and turns the light off with one quick move, rushing down the stairs to find her mom wanting for her in the hallway.

„Evan is already in the car“, Alice explains with a soft smile. 

„Alright“, Betty answers while hugging her mother for one last time. „Thank you again for the meal, mom“.

„Oh, nothing to thank, honey“. When they break apart and Betty wants to turn to the door, her mother holds her back for a moment. „Betty, I forgot to tell you earlier today, but I think you should know that Archie Andrews is back in town“.

It stays silent for what feels like forever while Betty tries to progress the information she just received.

„Archie?“ Her voice sounds like it doesn’t belong to her when se speaks again.

„Yes. I saw him this afternoon. He’s here to get the house empty. Mrs Andrews wants to sell it at the end of this summer“, Alice explains softly. „I just wanted to tell you this before you run into him without any warning“.

„That’s sweet of you“, Betty answers a bit too fast, her voice a bit shakier than usual. „But I don’t care about him anymore.“

Her mom only nods while Betty turns to the door and hurries outside. „Goodnight, mom“.

„Goodnight, honey“.

The moment Betty walks through the dark front yard, she allows herself to actually think about the information her mother just told her.

_Archie is back in Riverdale?_

It’s weird to think about him after all these years… even though he crossed her mind from time to time. New York, Maryland, Archie… all these things seem like a lifetime ago and Betty doesn’t really know how to react to all of this.

Maybe she should feel something… maybe she should be mad at him. Maybe she should be happy.

But the truth is, Betty just feels one thing in this moment. _Overwhelming shock._

She almost stumbles over the grass when she finally reaches Evan’s car. He’s already sitting on the driver’s seat when she get’s inside.

„Got it“, she says with a little laugh, holding up the bag in her hands like a trophy.

„Alright… let’s go home“, he smiles while he starts the car and gets out of the small parking space.

Betty’s face turns to her right and she stares through the window, watches the dark Andrew’s house in the shadows of the night.

_Archie is here… Archie is right here._

It shouldn’t shock her this much that he returned to Riverdale. Of course he would come back one day.

But she can’t even tear her eyes away from his house while they drive past it and she catches a glimpse of his parked car right beside them on the street. How didn’t she see that before?!

„Are you okay?“, Evan suddenly asks while his right hand find hers in the dark car.

She tangled her fingers with his, fighting a smile on her shadowed face.

It takes all her power to tear her eyes away from Archie’s old car while she looks at Evan right beside her, but it’s like she can still feel the presence of the house right behind her, just like a ghost from her past that seems to haunt her down until her last day on this damned earth.

„Yes“, she says in a believable way, even though her heart seems to jump right out of her chest. „Yes, I’m okay… I’m just a bit tired“.

She closes her eyes for the rest of the car ride…

… but the image of the dark window she just saw in her room, is still painted like a black picture right in her mind.


	2. Silhouette

**"As if you don't remember  
As if you can forget  
It's only been a moment  
It's only been a lifetime  
But tonight you're a stranger  
Some silhouette…". **

Archie Andrews was never good at lying. Never.  
Speaking the truth wasn’t always the easiest way… but it has always been the right way.

Except for the one time, Archie Andrews made a lie that was so cruel, he never really forgave himself for saying it out loud.

“I love you Betty… but I don’t want to spend the next years waiting for single moments with you. I want a carefree future… and that’s what I love more”.

These words weren’t true, but necessary at the time.

And to be true, Archie hasn’t thought about the night in New York for many years now. Sure, he remembers the words he spoke, he remembers the night sky above him. He remembers the way the city lights around him glittered in the tears on Betty’s face and he will never forget the moment he turned around and decided to set her free to the future she deserved.

All of these memories cross his mind the night he finally sees the girl next door again, her silhouette dancing through her old bedroom like she is sixteen again.

It’s been four years since Archie saw Betty smile.

And this exact smile is haunting him in his sleep that night while he is laying in his old bed inside his childhood room, his body nearly too big for the mattress underneath him.

It’s a little bit scary how small details or memories can pull you back into the past, pushing you into the corner where you tried to hide all your emotions for a long, long time.  
  
You can’t simply forget something like that one night in New York. Moments like these will always stay with you, whether they are buried in the back of your head or constantly spinning in front of your eyes.  
It doesn’t matter what you do with memories, because at some point, they’ll haunt you either way, no matter how hard you try to erase them out of your life.  
  
Archie knows that whatever special bond he once shared with the blonde girl next door… he completely broke it apart in the night he left her behind on top of a skyscraper.  
  
Growing up in Riverdale meant growing up beside Betty Cooper.  
And every time he thinks back about his childhood, she is there as well, her wide smile and shiny, green eyes glittering through his head like the sight of a watercourse, beautiful, natural and all above unstoppable.  
  
Betty has always been some sort of red thread in Archie’s life, meandering through every single day he walked her to school, he played with her in the garden or simply waved at her through their bedroom windows.  
  
And four years ago, he tore this red thread up, broke it apart with words that cut like knifes. Whatever string held them together with an almost fateful strength faded away just like their once so bright shining future and he knew the moment he turned around and left her there… there wasn’t a coming back from this.  
  
But now here he is, back in Riverdale, back in his old childhood bed, waking up the next morning and starring at the wooden ceiling, remembering all these years he laid in this exact same spot.  
  
The moment he gets outside the bed, he can’t help but to take a short look out of the window again, starring at house next door, almost blinded by the morning sun.  
  
Of course, she isn’t there anymore…  
  
He turns around and leaves the room, but the circling thoughts inside his head keep following him through the whole house.  
  
  
Until midday, he distracts himself with working on his big project “getting the house empty till the end of the summer”. He starts at the living room and pulls all the drawers open at the same time, grabbing all kinds of stuff and throws them into the huge boxes which are distributed in the whole room.  
  
Around 3pm he reaches the shelf with all the old family pictures and even though he tries his best to keep focused, he ends up sitting on the couch, the photos in his hands, his eyes wandering over every single picture.  
  
There are tons of photos of his dad and mom in one of the few boxes he opens, and he can feel a smile appearing on his face when he spots a picture of Vegas at the bottom of the pile.  
  
The next box is filled with pictures of several family events his dad took over the years and Archie can’t help but to cringe once he finds a picture of himself where he is wearing his old cardigans he used to love during middle school.  
  
_I used to be such a wimp._  
  
He puts the pictures back into the boxes and places both of them on the small coffee table beside him before he spots one last case on the shelf in front of him.  
  
The moment he sits back down and opens the lid, the same wide smile and green eyes he saw last night though the window shine back at him and he hates how surprised he is for a few seconds.  
  
_I thought I had all pictures of Betty and me up in my room?_  
  
His brows are furrowed when he takes the low pile of photos out of the small box, his eyes drawn to the little pictures in his large hands.  
  
These are photos he didn’t even know his dad took of them over the years because Archie knows very well how all his pictures with the girl next door look like… and these ones are completely new to him.  
  
There is a picture of him and Betty drinking their first beer at the age of 16 and he acted like a total brat because of it, even though Betty remained totally relaxed about everything.  
Another picture shows him inside his dad’s car, and he remembers all to well how excited he was about learning how to drive, and Betty was right there by his side, explaining to him how exactly he needs to turn the wheel. Betty was always better at everything… and he can’t think of one time this quality annoyed him.  
  
He doesn’t even notice the sad smile on his lips while he keeps starring at the small pictures, minute after minute passing by.  
  
Betty Cooper has always been so much more than just his neighbor.  
She was his first friend. She was his best friend.  
She was his teacher when he couldn’t keep up with school, she was the face behind the window every time he searched for her smile.  
She was his girlfriend. She probably was the only one that truly understood him.  
  
And now all he has left of her are the pictures in his hands.  
  
The realization of that hurts a bit too much as he stuffs the photos back inside the box, his eyes finding the handwriting of his dad on the side. Archie and Betty over the years.  
  
He can’t help but to let out an ironic laugh. Who would have thought their story would abruptly end after a decade of friendship?  
  
After putting the box on the table beside him as well he stands up, letting out a deep breath while his hands dig through his messy hair.  
  
  
He is about to search for some food when suddenly the doorbell rings. After throwing a short look at the clock on the wall and wondering if he invited anyone, he walks through the small hallway and opens the door, meeting the smiling faces of Veronica Lodge and Reggie Mantel.  
  
“Archie! I knew you would be here; you can always count on small town whispers!”, the raven-haired girl says while she steps forward and pulls him into a short hug, closely followed by Reggie.  
  
“Hey man, nice to see you”, he grins while they share a short hug. “Damn what kind of training did they put you through”.  
  
Archie doesn’t even have the time to react properly because after three seconds they are already walking into his chaotic living room.  
  
“Hey guy, why don’t you come in?”, he murmurs under his breath while he closes the door and joins them in the living room, his arms crossed while he leans against the doorframe. “I’m sorry but I don’t have anything to drink or to eat and the whole house looks like a battlefield”.  
  
“Oh, don’t worry about that”, Veronica simply replies while she turns around to him and he is able to get a better look at the short girl in front of him. Her fashion style hasn’t changed very much, she is still walking on those High Heels and in a little, dark dress but her hair is a bit longer and a thick layer of bangs is hanging over her forehead. “We just wanted to say hello. I met Alice yesterday and she told me that you’re back in town”.  
  
Of course. He can’t fight the smile on his face. I bet by now the whole town knows that I’m here.  
  
“So we wanted to get a look at you, before you disappear again”, Reggie adds while he sits down on the couch behind him. “It’s not easy to catch a glimpse of the Archie Andrews these days”.  
  
There is a hint of accusation hidden behind his words and just like that the topic Archie hates with all his heart is hanging in the air. His escape from New York four years ago and his absence since then.  
  
“Reggie…”, Veronica whispers while she throws a dark glare at her fiancé.  
  
When she turns back around to Archie the smile on her face returns and she steps a bit closer to him than before. “There is another reason why we’re here”.  
Her eyes fall to the purse in her hands while she searches for something inside it before she pulls out a small business card.  
  
She reaches him the piece of paper. “We’re proud owner of a hotel here in Riverdale, Archie. It’s brand new and really special to us”. The pride in her words is real while he stares at the little card, his eyes hanging on the golden letters Lodge Hotel.  
  
“We’re still new to all of this and there is still a lot to change”, she adds. “We’re searching for some kind of evening entertainment for our event room right now, something that isn’t too intrusive but adds something extra to the flair of the lounge”.  
  
Archie’s eyes move back up the Veronica and he meets the soft smile on her face. “Reggie told me about your band, Archie…”.  
  
_Oh god…_  
  
“… and I was wondering if you and your bandmates would be interested in performing in our Hotel. We could start with some rehearsal evenings and when the people like it and it works and fits to the theme of the Hotel we can talk about some permanent solution”.  
  
Her voice hangs in the room for a long moment while he just stares back at her, the card in his hands dancing around his fingers.  
  
“Veronica… you know that I have to leave after this summer, right?”, he finally speaks.  
  
“I know that you have to attend the mandatory service in September”, she immediately adds. “That’s why I’m only talking about this summer. We want to test if a band even works for our Hotel. You could play till September and we’ll search for something else after that”.  
  
A long moment of silence follows while Archie’s eyes fall back to the card in his hands, his mind drifting to Sarah and Jerry, wondering how they would feel about an opportunity like this.  
  
It only takes a few seconds until he is absolutely sure how Sarah would react to this news… she would absolutely love this.  
  
When he looks back up to Veronica there is some positive sound in his voice. “I’ll talk to my bandmembers and then I’ll give you an answer, okay?”  
  
“Perfect!” Veronica sounds relieved while she turns around to Reggie. “I told you this would be a good idea”.  
  
Reggie only rolls his eyes, standing up from the couch while he speaks. “Yeah, I know… you’re always right.” He leans down and shares a short kiss with the black-haired girl and Archie can’t help but smile at the sight of happiness in front of him.  
  
Veronica may be his ex-girlfriend but his romantic feelings for her are gone for a long, long time now. He is in a place where he is genuinely happy for her and that’s what makes him more than glad.  
  
“Alright man, we have to go”, Reggie says while he takes Veronica’s hand. “There is a lot to do when you have a Hotel…”.  
  
“Oh, don’t complain”. Now it’s Veronica’s turn to roll her eyes while the three of them step into the hallway and Archie opens the front door.  
  
When they leave the raven-haired girl turns back around one last time, winking at him playfully. “I’m waiting for your call, Archiekins”.  
  
His nickname takes him back a couple of years and that’s what putts an honest smile on his face. “Goodbye Veronica”.  
  
When he closes the door and walks back into the living room, he stares at the business card once again, deciding that he’ll call Sarah and Jerry later.  
  
_I’m starving._  
  
His eyes fall on the clock on the wall and after a short moment he grabs his keys and his wallet, leaving the house while the sun starts to throw shadows over the roofs off the neighborhood.  


**•••**

  
It’s almost 5pm when he parks his car in front of POPs.  
  
Four years have passed by since he last laid eyes on the little Diner at the end of the town and the overwhelming feeling of nostalgia floods through his whole body the moment he gets outside the car and walks over the familiar parking lot.  
  
This place embodies so many memories he made here during his childhood that he can’t even choose one single one of them while he walks through the front door.  
  
The smell of fries and burgers hits him like a train and suddenly he is ten years old again, buying himself food from the ten dollars his father gave him every weekend.  
  
“Archie Andrews! Didn’t thought I would see your face again!” Pop Tate is standing behind the counter, smiling from one ear to the other the moment Archie steps into the room.  
  
“Hey Pop, nice to see you”, he replies with a grin on his face while he sits down on one of the many barstools to his left.  
  
“I’ll be honest, I’m a little mad at you for disappearing for so many years”, Pop confesses with a sad smile on his face. “But now that you’re here, you’ll get a milkshake for free.”  
  
“Pop, there is no need…”.  
  
“Strawberry was your favorite, right? I’ll bring you some fries with a burger as well, you look hungry”.   
  
Before Archie can reply anything, Pop is already back in the kitchen and Archie feels more like a child than a 24-year-old man.  
He relaxes a bit, sinks down on his chair while he watches the people behind him walking in and out of the Diner.  
  
There was a time, he knew every single person inside this room, back when he was still in Riverdale High.  
  
Today, he has turned into a stranger.  
  
  
When Pop brings him his food and he takes the first bite of the burger in his hands, he could cry about the beautiful taste on his tongue.  
  
“Missed these burgers, huh?”, Pop only comments right behind the counter while he watches him eat and Archie can only nod as an answer.  
  
“You look like a real soldier; do you know that? I was used to see you in your letterman jacket… not in this dark clothes and army trousers”, the shopkeeper adds while pointing on his black shirt and his brown-green patterned training trousers.  
  
“I don’t have much clothes here…”, he mumbles between bites. “I’m not staying for long. I’m just getting the house empty for my mom”.  
  
“And after that you’ll return to the Navy?”  
  
“Yes”.  
  
Pop turns around, his brows a bit furrowed. “Alright, kid… good luck with that”.  
  
They don’t talk after that and Archie is kind of glad that he isn’t forced to face any other accusations regarding his decision to join the Navy.  
He eats in silence while the conversations of the teenagers around him drift to his ear from time to time, the quiet radio music playing in the background just like all these years ago.  
  
“I’ll be right back”, he says to Pop while he jumps up from his seat and walks into the bathroom behind the kitchen, washing his hands while he tries to recognize himself in the small mirror in front of him.  
  
He surely isn’t the boy he used to be. This is a much older but also wiser version of himself that is starring back at him, someone that threw the gold and blue jacket away and switched all his clothing into dark fabrics. Someone that doesn’t care about the little three-day-beard which adorns his face and someone who obviously gave up on fixing the tousled hair on his head.  
  
When he leaves the bathroom again and walks back into the Diner room his eyes fall on the table he once sat almost every day back when he was a teenager and he can’t help but smile at the sight of a girl and a boy, sitting across from each other, both sipping on their milkshakes in front of them.  
  
“Hey Pop, can I have two burgers with fries as take away?”  
  
Archie is so lost in his thoughts that for a moment, he actually believes the soft voice coming from the front door is just an echo from one of the memories that circle through his mind from time to time.  
  
But as he steps further into the room and turns to his seat, he sees her standing in front of the counter right at the entrance, dressed in a red-white dress, standing on some white heels, her blonde hair falling all the way down to the middle of her back.  
  
Betty Cooper is looking like an absolute angel… and the moment she turns her head in his direction, he realizes that he must look like the villain of a bad war movie.  
  
He freezes in place, starring back at her and the moment her green eyes meet his brown ones, a part of him remembers the last time she ever looked at him directly. The night in New York.  
  
A part of him wants to smile, another part wants to cry. He wants to say hello, but he also wants to turn around and jump out of the bathroom window.  
  
He doesn’t really know how long he keeps standing there, starring at the most beautiful woman in the room. But somehow, he remembers how to breathe again and before he knows it, he takes a step forward. Then another one.  
  
Her eyes never leave his own as he walks down the whole corridor and he finally stops two feet away from her, his shock fading away second by second.  
  
He tries to find the right words to say until he realizes that there isn’t one good thing on this earth, he could say to her, that would made up for all these years the spent apart.  
  
So, he goes with the most casual word ever.  
  
“Hey”.  
  
Somehow, he manages to speak with a strong voice, and he searches for some kind of emotion in her eyes while she looks back at him, silence spreading around them like wildfire.  
  
When she finally speaks, her voice is so much softer than he remembers. “Hey”.  
  
He is glad that she is actually answering to him while he tries desperately to keep this conversation going. His eyes wander over her face until he realizes that he might be starring her down, so he tears his yes away from her, looking at anything else instead.  
  
_Say something, say something, say something…_  
  
His head keeps spinning the next time he opens his mouth. “Do you… want a milkshake?”  
  
She just looks at him like she doesn’t understand a single word he’s saying, but before she is even able to answer, Pop behind the counter yells to her: “Betty, your order will take 5 to 10 minutes”.  
  
“Thank you, Pop”, she immediately replies with a soft smile before she slowly turns back around to Archie. “Ehm… I’ll have to wait here either way, so I guess…”.  
  
She does a little move that looks like a shoulder-shrug and under other circumstances he would have laughed loudly about her. “Okay”.  
  
He lifts his arm and points at the empty seat beside his own and they sit down at the counter at the exact same time, Archie looking at his empty plate, Betty watching how Pop disappears into the kitchen.  
  
Another minute of silence.  
  
“So… you’re back in town?” Betty is the first one to say something and common – of course she is.  
  
“Yes… I’ll stay here for Veronica’s wedding”, he replies while trying his best to sound as casual as possible, but his voice is a bit too deep to sound normal.  
  
She nods, her eyes still lingering on the kitchen door. “Veronica is getting married… crazy, right?”  
  
“Yeah”. A short laughter escapes his mouth and that’s the first time she turns her head back to him, the intensity of her green eyes nearly killing him on the spot. “I… I just think it’s crazy how the time flies by”.  
  
Maybe this was a good thing to say, maybe this was the worst thing as well.  
  
The truth is Archie can’t read on Betty’s face what exactly she thinks while she looks back to him. All he can focus on are the small changes that her body went through in the last four years and if he would have the chance, he would spent hours with admiring the way she is sitting beside him in an elegant way, he never saw on her before.  
  
Her hair is longer but still styled in her natural waves, there is a pink color painted on her full lips and her eyes are framed with dark lashes. Her body looks exactly the same, even though her whole posture looks much more graceful and elegant than before.  
  
It doesn’t hurt that she has become the kind of women he always knew she would be some day.  
But it hurts that he doesn’t know this woman anymore.  
  
And that’s the moment the guilt and pain reach out for him, slowly escaping out of the corner he kept them hidden inside his chest all these years.  
  
“Betty, I…”, he starts, not really sure what exactly he wants to say to her.  
  
_I’m sorry I left you?  
I’m sorry I didn’t call?  
I’m sorry I choose a life without you?_  
  
“How is your mom?”, Betty interrupts him before he is even able to finish his sentence, her voice sounding much louder than before. “I haven’t seen her for a few weeks… I hope she is alright?”  
  
She keeps looking at him like she wants him to tell her everything about his mom right here, right now… but the longer he stares at the look on her face, the more he realizes that she wanted to change the subject before they even had the chance to talk about it.  
  
_Okay. We don’t have to talk about it. It’s probably for the best. Let’s pretend we’re just two strangers that once knew each other well and get this conversation over with._  
  
“She is fine”, he finally answers with a neutral tone. “She is actually pretty happy… her and Brooke are very happy together”.  
  
“That’s great”.  
  
“Yeah, it is”.  
  
Another pause filled with silence follows and that’s the moment he realizes that either Betty doesn’t care about anything regarding to him anymore, or she wants to tiptoe around the obvious topic that is lingering between them since October 2021.  
  
And maybe… none of this is even important anymore.  
  
Because he keeps looking at the women right beside him but doesn’t really recognize her anymore. Sure, this is still Betty Cooper… but it’s a version of her that he doesn’t really know… and he probably won’t ever get to know as well.  
There is a distant look in her eyes that he never witnessed before, and he wonders if she looks at all people this way nowadays or if this look is specifically saved for him.  
  
Betty seems to try her best to look calm and natural, even though he can sense the emotions flying through her head right under the mask she is desperately trying to keep up.  
  
When she speaks again, she pulls him out of his thoughts, and he finds her looking at his clothes. “You’re still wearing part of your uniform?” She sounds curious and actually interested in his answer but they both know it’s just a weak try to keep this uncomfortable conversation going.  
  
“Ehm… yes. It’s silly… but I didn’t really think about bringing much clothes here”. He looks down as well, pointing at his trousers the next time he speaks. “You think Veronica will let me go to the wedding with that outfit?”  
  
And that’s the very first time Betty’s lips curl up into a smile and her eyes shine while a quiet laugh escapes her mouth, her blonde waves dancing over her shoulders while she simply laughs over his silly joke.  
  
He isn’t funny, he knows that. But watching her laugh over his words makes him smile himself while the bad feelings inside him slowly turn into something bearable.  
  
_I made her laugh._  
  
And a part of him remembers the time he made her laugh every single day and how good it felt, being the one that put this carefree look on her face.  
  
“Well, I don’t know… Veronica might be older now, but she sure as hell will haunt you to the end of the world, when you don’t stick to her dress code”, Betty finally answers with a smirk.  
  
He doesn’t say a thing, he just sits there and watches how she slowly realizes that the façade she was wearing might have slipped away for a few seconds. And just like that, the restrained look on her face returns and she stares down to the table in front of her.  
  
In this moment, Pop returns from the back of the kitchen, one big bag in his hands. “Here Betty, your order is ready to go”.  
  
The blonde girl seems to be relieved while she grabs some money out of the pocket on her lap and reaches it over the counter, taking the bag in return. “Thank you, Pop”.  
  
“You’re welcome”.  
  
A quiet notification sound comes out of Betty’s bag and she pulls her phone out with one fast move, a natural smile appearing on her face.  
  
“Oh, he’s here”.  
  
_He…  
  
Probably her new boyfriend. The guy that Alice Jones seems to adore._  
  
Archie tries to smile and somehow, he actually manages it without looking too faked. Of course, he’s happy for Betty… that’s what he ever wanted for her. And he is glad that she found someone that puts a smile on her face like the one he just witnessed.  
  
_I’m happy for her… really._  
  
When she stands up and her heels touch the floor, he would love to ask her to stay for a couple more minutes. But there isn’t a reason for that anymore and he knows by the look on Betty’s face that there seems to be an invisible line keeping them apart and they will eventually cross it when they spent more than a few minutes together.  
And right after that line filled with fake smiles and silly laughs lays the truth about their past, all the hurt and drama that has been going on between them years ago.  
  
Archie doesn’t know if they will ever talk about what happened back in New York…  
  
… and if he is completely honest about it, a part of him doesn’t want to see Betty Cooper hurt ever again.  
  
So, he only fights a crocked smile on the corner of his mouth while she turns towards him one last time, her fingers clenched around the bag in her hands, her face almost emotionless again.  
  
“Goodnight, Archie… it was nice to see you again”, she says in the most elegant yet distant voice, her eyes laying in his face, but it almost seems like she isn’t really seeing him at all.  
  
“Yeah…”, he only answers, feeling all kind of mixed emotions in this moment. “It was nice to see you too”.  
  
And then she simply turns around before he can even catch a glimpse of her expression and he watches her walk out of the Diner, her hair swinging over her back while the front door closes behind her.  
  
“She turned into a pretty woman”, Pop behind him says while he keeps looking through the glass door, a little smile painted on his face.  
  
“She was always pretty, Pop”.  
  
It’s almost dark outside, but the afternoon sun is still reflecting on Betty’s golden hair when she hurries towards a black car, opening the door within a second.  
  
And the moment she gets inside the car, Archie is able to throw a proper look at the driver, a man with dark hair and dark eyes, someone who looks way too familiar to Archie.  
  
He keeps staring through the glass door, probably looking insane, but there is one little moment he catches Betty’s eyes looking back at him, a hint of nervousness hidden on her shadowed face.  
  
That’s when he knows.  
  
That’s the guy from the night club in New Haven… that’s the guy who helped Betty with math.  
  
_That’s Evan Campbell._  
  
Archie turns back around the same second the car disappears, and he stares at his milkshake for a solid minute, lost in his thoughts.  
  
Of course, he always wanted Betty to move on and be happy.  
  
But did he wanted her to turn to Evan Campbell for comfort? Hell no.  
  
A deep breath escapes his mouth as he stands up from his chair and leaves some money on the counter in front of him.  
  
  
When he drives back home Betty is still on his mind.

The emotions she hid beneath a mask consisting of fake smiles may be a good trick for people who barely know her… but even though Archie hasn’t seen her for years, he knows pretty well when she is hiding or trying to avoid something.  
  
If he wants it or not, her face is appearing in front of his eyes every few seconds and the moment he parks his car in front of his house, he punches the steering wheel in frustration.  
  
Stop acting so childish about it; he commands himself while he gets inside the house. I knew she would move on. That’s a good thing. And in a few weeks, I’m gone again, and I won’t have to witness all of this anymore.  
  
He almost kicks his front door open, angry about the range boiling inside his veins while he returns to the living room, his eyes finding the box with the old photos of him and Betty once again.  
  
_Screw those pictures;_ he thinks.  
  
His hands are firm when he grabs the box and throws every single photo of him and Betty in one of the big cartons that he will bring to the garbage disposal sometime within the next few weeks.   
  
It’s not the fact that Betty and Evan are a couple now, that makes Archie that angry.  
It’s more the hate he feels for himself in this moment. He is furious because there is absolutely nothing he can do to stop the numb feeling inside his chest, or the boiling anger inside his whole body.  
  
_Screw the past. Screw these feelings. Screw regret and the haunting feeling of what might have been._  
  
He doesn’t want to feel anything regarding to Betty Cooper anymore.  
The memories of her haunted him for years and now that he is finally in a place where he thought he is set free of all the regret and sadness, these feelings are coming right back to him, punching him straight into the stomach.  
  
Archie grabs his phone to distract himself, his fingers finding the number of a good friend of him while he walks into the kitchen, searching for a beer inside his empty fridge.  
  
“Archie! What’s up?” Sarah Thompsons happy voice echoes against his ear while he opens one of the last bottles he can find.  
  
“Remember my ex-girlfriend Veronica Lodge? She needs someone to play a few gigs at her new Hotel”.  
  
“Wait, Veronica Lodge has a Hotel now?”  
  
“Long story”, he replies after taking one bis sip of his drink. “But she asked me if Vortex would be interested in that job. It would be 3 to 4 evenings per week until the end of the summer, but we can talk about the details with her in person… what do you say?”  
  
There is a long moment of silence between them, but the next time Sarah speaks, there is a lot of joy and surprise swinging in her voice. “Oh my god! That’s amazing! I… I need to talk to Jerry, but I guess he doesn’t have anything else planned this summer… can I call you back??”  
  
He smiles into the phone. “Sure”.  
  
“Alright, I’ll be right back!”  
  
  
The sunlight is already gone when Archie goes up the stair and into his room, his eyes starring through the glass just like the night before. But this time the room next door stays dark when he turns back around and sits down on his old bed, in one hand his beer, in the other his phone.  
  
When Sarah calls him back, he immediately knows by the sound of her voice how her answer will turn out. “Jerry is in!!!”  
  
“Great”. He smiles into the dark, not even bothering to turn on one single light in this big house. “I’ll have the house until the end of the summer. You two can stay here during that time, if you don’t want to pay for a Hotel room”.  
  
“That’s nice of you, Andrews. Thank you”.  
  
“No problem. I’ll call you tomorrow for more details, alright?”  
  
“Perfect! Goodnight!”  
  
When he ends the call, he falls back onto his mattress, his eyes starring at the black ceiling above him, nothing more than the beating of his heart echoing through his ears.  
  
After a few minutes he grabs his phone again, calling the only person he wants to speak to right now.  
  
“Hey, dude! Tired of the small town already??” It’s a mystery to Archie, how Luke manages it to sound happy all the time.  
  
“Hi, Luke… I have some news”.  
  
He spends the next fifteen minutes telling Luke about Veronica’s new Hotel and the gig she want’s Vortex to play there… and Luke listens carefully, not once interrupting him.  
  
“Wow… I guess Sarah is doing her little happy dance right now”, the blonde guy laughs through the phone and Archie can’t help but smile.  
  
“I told them that they can stay at my place until the end of the summer”.  
  
“Well, that sounds like fun… seems like College all over again, huh?” Luke laughs again and a short moment of silence follows until he adds: “You know, the beach is kind of boring this year… do you think you can handle one more guest in your house?”  
  
Archie can’t help but to let out a surprised laugh. “You want to visit Riverdale?”  
  
“Yeah, you know… you remember when Sarah commanded me to be your biggest fan when you perform again? I’m just trying to keep my promise”.  
  
“I remember…”. _Yeah right, Luke… and that has nothing to do with the way you keep starring at Sarah every time she is around you._  
  
Archie smiles into the dark, glad that he managed to keep a few friends form the Academy.  
  
“Sure, Luke. You’re welcome here anytime”.  
  
They end the call after a few minutes and Archie sits up again, his eyes wandering over the shadows in his room. When he spots his old guitar in the corner right beside the door the smile on his face appears again, his fingertips tapping on the glass bottle in his hands.  
  
And suddenly, an old melody starts to play in the back of his head, the sound of a song he sang over four years ago.  
  
_„There's no warning  
When everything changes  
You let down your guard and I saw something strange  
I thought, she's not made for this world  
And neither am I“._  
  
The last time Archie wrote a song was in High School.  
  
Carry the Torch has been the last song he ever created since then and it almost felt like all his inspiration escaped him after he left Riverdale behind.  
  
Maybe it’s this town… maybe it’s the feeling of being back here in this house… maybe it’s the image of the blonde girl next door right before his eyes…  
  
… but somehow, the melody inside his head gets louder with every second as his inspiration and passion finally returns to Archie Andrews.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A HUGE Thank You to the people who left a comment or a kudo on the first chapter - you guys have no idea how happy these comments make me!!!


	3. Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes

**"Devils roll the dice,**

**angels roll their eyes."**

Betty knew that she would see Archie eventually.

It was only a matter of time until you meet people in a small town like Riverdale.

And yet, she was totally unprepared when she stepped into POPs on this Saturday afternoon, her heels clinking on the floor underneath her while the smell of fries and burgers seems to cling to her clothes.

“Hey Pop! Can I have two burgers with fries as a takeaway?”

“Hey Betty, sure”.

She smiles at him while her green eyes wander around the room, the sound of a group of teenagers talking at the end of the room and the quiet radio to her right softly playing in the background.

POPs has always been a calming place… her safe place, to be true.

There even was a time when she really believed that a booth at POPs is the place where she feels safest and most herself… but this time seems to be a thousand years away.

Betty takes a deep breath, tries her best to push the old memories out of her head.

But then she turns her face to the left and her heart just stops.

_Archie._

At first, Betty actually believes he is just some sort of imagination or illusion because the man who is standing at the other side of them small corridor doesn’t really look like the boy she saw thousands of times through her bedroom window.

But the moment she dares to look him straight into his dark, brown eyes she realizes – _he is actually here._

And just like that her whole body seems to turn into some kind of self defense mode and the second she watches Archie walking in her direction she automatically switches into autopilot.

She pushes the panic that is rising in her chest back down and tries everything in her power to keep standing on two feet when the red-haired man stops two feet away from her, their eyes still locked with each other.

“Hey”. His voice is lower than it used to be, matching his new look and matured appearance.

A part of her is ruled by anger and disappointment and there is nothing else she wants to do than slap him in the face, turn around and leave this place before he can even say another word.

But Betty doesn’t want to show him the mess of emotions that is swirling around in her body, nor does she want to give him the revelation that even after four years, she is still that affected by his appearance. So, she takes a deep breath, focusing on her unsteady voice. “Hey”.

She looks back at him and watches how his eyes seem to trace every little spot on her face until he seems to realize that he is almost starring her down.

The moment he tears his eyes away from her, he speaks again. “Do you… want a milkshake?”

His question pulls her back to their High School memories and for a short amount of time, she remembers the feeling of late summer evenings, the taste of a vanilla milkshake on her tongue and a wide smile painted on her naïve face.

_No, Archie. Actually, I don’t want to drink a milkshake with you._

But the more she thinks about it, the more it dawns to her that there are only two options for her to choose. She either stays for a few minutes and fights herself through a conversation with him… or she is giving in to her darkest thoughts, rejects him and waits in front of the Diner for her order to be ready.

“Betty, your order will take 5 to 10 minutes!”, Pop shouts from the kitchen. _5 to 10 minutes… I can do this._

So, she looks back at him, giving her best to sound as casual as possible, but her voice is trembling while she speaks. “Ehm… I’ll have to wait here either way, so I guess…”. She shrugs her shoulders to back up her words, catching the look of slight amusement on Archie’s face before he answers with a simple “Okay”.

He points at the empty seat beside his own and the sit down at the exact same time while Betty’s eyes are fixed on anything except Archie.

She wonders if he can see the hesitation in all her movements or the anger boiling inside her blood.

Betty fears the emotions inside her chest so much that she is almost sitting completely still, always careful to stay focused on her steady yet fast heartbeat.

Almost a minute goes by where neither of them speaks a word. That’s when her sense for manners return to her. “So… you’re back in town?”

Her question seems to surprise him, judging the way he turns his face to her and she tries desperately to keep a straight face while she is forced to look right back into his eyes.

_He is here. He is right here… sitting in front of me._

There is a war going on inside her head, a battlefield of emotions, memories and the indomitable urge to turn around and run away from the man right in front of her.

“Yes… I’ll stay here for Veronica’s wedding”. His voice is deeper than it used to be… or at least that’s what she believes.

_Maybe I’ve just forgotten how he sounds like._

“Veronica is getting married… crazy, right?” Betty’s eyes drift away from his until she is starring at the kitchen door, not able to look him in the eyes.

With every single second that passes by, she gets more reminded of the past she tried to burry, an undeniable feeling of sorrow circling in her heart when she speaks about Veronica’s wedding.

_What would have been, if our relationship would have lasted this long?_

“Yeah”. A short laughter escapes his mouth and that’s the first time she turns her head back to him, the intensity of her green eyes nearly killing him on the spot. “I… I just think it’s crazy how the time flies by”.

She wants to kill him the moment he jokes about the time that has passed by, but she reminds herself that she isn’t a vivacious girl anymore… she tries to be polite; she tries to be mature… she tries to be _perfect_.

Her eyes are drawn to his face and now she is finally taking a proper look at him. His hair is shorter than it used to be, there is a slight beard on the once soft skin on his face. His whole body seems to be more trained, somehow firmer than in his teenager years.

When she looks down for a moment her heart drops at the sight of his Naval uniform.

She isn’t even able to admit that he looks good, because every second she is looking at him, is reminding her of the pain he put her through and he that he never even gave her the chance to say a proper goodbye.

And if she isn’t careful enough today… he might see the real emotions that are still lingering inside her.

The feelings she shouldn’t feel… certainly not after four years. She should have gotten over the heartbreak by now, and a huge part of her did.

But the disappointment, anger and sadness are still pinned to her skin, like a shell she just can’t get rid of.

It’s not like she is still the sad, little girl anymore she was when Archie left her in New York.

But she will never forget how he made her fell.

And it needs a lot of concentration for Betty to stay polite in this moment.

Archie seems to notice the slight changes in her expression, because the next time he speaks, his voice is softer than before. “Betty, I…”.

_Oh no, don’t you dare to apologize tonight._

“How is your mom?” Her interruption is surprising him, judging the look on his face. “I haven’t seen her for a few weeks… I hope she is alright?”

It’s clear to the both of them that this is her own way of changing the subject before they even get to talk about it and for a moment, she can read the hesitation in his eyes.

 _You had four years to talk to me about it;_ she silently accuses. _Four years, Archie. Just because you’re running into me by an accident, doesn’t give you the right to tear up healed scars for the sake of manners._

“She is fine”, he finally answers with a neutral tone. “She is actually pretty happy… her and Brooke are very happy together”.

“That’s great”.

“Yeah, it is”.

It shouldn’t feel this way… but the moment Betty realizes that there isn’t much more to say between them causes a slight pain inside her chest.

_Of course, we aren’t the people they used to be. We’re not even friends anymore._

And even after all these years… it still hurts.

“You’re still wearing part of your uniform?”, she asks after a long pause, partly because she wants to break the silence, partly because she can’t pretend, she isn’t curious to know if he is still working for the Navy.

“Ehm… yes. It’s silly… but I didn’t really think about bringing much clothes here”. He follows her eyes down to his pants. “You think Veronica will let me go to the wedding with that outfit?”

Maybe it’s the way his voice gets a little higher at the end or his question is a lot funnier than he intended it to be… but Betty can’t fight the smile that is curling up in the corner of her lips.

_Damn it._

“Well, I don’t know… Veronica might be older now, but she sure as hell will haunt you to the end of the world, when you don’t stick to her dress code”, she finally answers with a smirk, not even bothering to hide her laugh.

Their eyes meet again and for a second, she remembers how it felt like starring at him years ago, laughing about his silly joked nearly every day they spent together.

It hurts like hell to be right here… sitting right beside him, not even able to speak to him they way she used to do. _Times have changed and so have we._

She tears away from his dark eyes, dares to take a look at the way he is sitting beside her, how the tanned skin on his arms is matching his black shirt and how he doesn’t quite fit into this small-town Diner anymore.

Sadness runs through her veins when she takes a look at her of dress, slowly realizing that her and Archie seem to be the complete opposite of each other today.

He became a man; she became a woman.

He became a soldier; she became an agent.

He is wearing dark clothes; she is walking around in dresses and High Heels.

It’s like he is mirroring the night and she is supposed to be the sunlight… and somehow… maybe… it was always meant to be this way.

_What the hell happened to us?_

Before she can say anything or before she is even able to think about Archie a bit more, Pop returns with her order from the kitchen. “Here Betty, your order is ready to go”.

He pulls her back from her thoughts and she hides her confusing and overwhelming feelings behind a smile as she takes the bag Pop reaches her.

She hands him the money the same moment she hears her notification sound ringing out of her small bag.

When she takes the phone out of her pocket and reads the message, she returns to reality.

 _“I’m here… sorry, work was crazy today. Do you have the burgers?” –_ **_Evan Campbell, 6:34 pm._ **

And just like that, a natural smile appears on her face, the same smile that appears every time she thinks about Evan. “Oh, he’s here”.

When she stands up and her heels touch the floor, she can see a soft smile on Archie’s face beside her, even though there seems to be a hint of an unreadable expression in his eyes.

She distances herself before she can get even more angry about him and their past, a faked smile on her lips while she speaks. “Goodnight, Archie… it was nice to see you again”.

“Yeah… It was nice to see you too”. His voice sounds distant, but the look on his eyes a little too intense.

Her body turns around before she can think about his reaction too much and she leaves the Diner without looking back.

The fresh summer air outside clears her mind a little bit when she walks towards the car, a real smile appearing on her face when Evan greets her the moment she sits down on the passenger seat. “Hi… I got the burgers”.

“Hey”, he answers with a smile while she puts on the seat belt. When she looks back up again, she can see him starring out of the window behind her, his eyes lingering on the front door of POPs. “Who were you talking to?”

“No one”. Her answer is out before she can even think about it and a part of her is wondering why she isn’t telling the truth. “Just an old friend from High School”. _Dear lord…_

She throws a short glance over to Evan but he only nods, already turning the car back to the street. “Alright… I’m so glad you already bought some food. I’m starving”.

“Perfect. I have two burger and some fries for us”.

“No milkshakes this time?”, he replies casually.

“No…”, is her simple answer while her eyes find the colorful lights of POPs in the outside mirror of the car, the image of the Diner getting smaller second by second. “I didn’t feel like milkshakes today”.

**•••**

Betty doesn’t sleep much that night.

She keeps telling herself that the reason for that is the warm temperature in the hotel apartment or the quiet snoring of Evan right beside her. Maybe it’s even the current cases at work that try to keep her awake.

But when she stands up and gets herself a cup of tea from the small kitchen, she knows that her conversation with Archie is still lingering in the back of her mind, keeping her awake if she wants it or not.

Maybe she wasn’t prepared to see him today. But she knows that she should have been, because it was clear that she would run into him sooner or later.

Riverdale is a small town… too small, sometimes.

When she gets back into her bed, Evan is right beside her, his arms pulling her into a hug, his lips on her hair, not really awake, not really sleeping. “Are you alright?” His voice isn’t even a whisper.

She only nods, closing her eyes, holding onto him while trying to concentrate on his steady breathing right beside her. “Yes”.

It’s not really clear if he can tell that something is on her mind.

All she knows is that the closeness to him finally sends her to sleep and she ends up dreaming about milkshakes and the blurry image of a man in an army uniform.

**•••**

Four days later, Veronica asks Betty to be her bridesmaid.

They are sitting in Veronica and Reggie’s apartment, drinking some fancy sort of coffee Veronica swears is better than anything else on this world, when she tells Betty about her request. 

“You won’t be doing this alone. My friend Katy from New York will be a bridesmaid as well, so you won’t have to worry about all the obligations and organization and…”.

“… It would be an honor to me, V”.

“Really?” They share a tight hug after that, both smiling like they did millions of times in High School. “Oh, I promise this will be great, Betty! We have one and a half months until the wedding, and I have so many plans…”.

Betty listens to Veronica’s plans for the whole evening, admiring the joy in the raven-haired girl’s eyes, smiling at the ideas she brings up.

“I just hope the weather will be good”, Veronica says at one point and Betty only smiles, shaking her head in amusement.

“I will be”, she replies with a certain tone. “Everything is going to be fine, V”.

**•••**

When Betty is returning to her apartment this evening, Evan is still at work.

 _“I’ll be home late. Work is driving me crazy. See you later… I love you” –_ **_Evan Campbell, 6:47 pm_ **

She texts him a simple “ _Don’t worry. Love you too!_ ” back and throws her phone on the bed right after that, walking over to the bid window, starring out to the pretty summer sunset.

Riverdale has always been a beautiful town. Even with all the horror and drama, the town had something magical about it, something wonderful and mystical.

She turns on the TV five minutes later, searching for something to kill the remaining time until Evan finally comes home.

Fifteen minutes after some lame cooking-show Betty decides that watching television isn’t really the best way to spend the evening.

A bored groan leaves her mouth when she reaches for her phone once again, asking Veronica via text message if she is free tonight.

Ten minutes pass by without an answer, so Betty finally decides to leave the hotel room without any real destination to go.

She is still wearing her office outfit from work today, dressed in a light-blue blouse and some black jeans, her casual go-to outfit for the working days. Before she leaves the room, she takes off her FBI belt, softly laying it down on the commode right beside the huge mirror on the beige wall.

For the next five minutes, she keeps wandering around the Hotel, taking a real look at the details of the decoration and wall-designs for the very first time. Veronica and Reggie put all their effort and money into this house and Betty can’t even decide if she prefers the wine-colored carpet in each corridor or the filigree champagne-colored paintings on the walls.

The hotel isn’t the biggest, but it isn’t small either.

It’s exactly that big, that it takes you about twenty minutes until you have seen everything from the rooftop to the ground floor.

Betty smiles at the nice lady at the reception when she walks past her but just when she is about to leave the hotel through the huge front entrance, she can hear a dull sound of music coming through the thin walls of the ground floor.

She stands still for a few seconds, quietly listening to the sounds while a few people keep walking past her, leaving and entering the hotel like in a dovecote.

“Excuse me”, Betty finally says when she turns around to the smiling reception lady. “Where is this music coming from?”

“From our Hotel lounge”, the white-haired woman answers while pointing at one of the corridors right beside the two elevators. “The room isn’t officially opened for our guests for now, but as far as I know some music group is already practicing today. The official evening-program will start next week”.

The lady turns to her left and pulls out a small flyer from the pile on the counter, reaching Betty the violet paper. “Here, I’ll give you the program for the next month”.

Betty’s hands are shaking slightly while her eyes are drawn to the details on the front page. There are a few themed evenings like a salsa night and a whine-evening, but that only seems to be incidental. The main act for the weekly program is a band that is playing three evenings each week, classified as a _young and talented group that sings pop and RnB songs_.

And for a second, Betty’s breath gets stuck in her lungs when she reads the band name _VORTEX_ right in the middle of the flyer, written in capital letters, underlined with golden glitter.

Even though four years have passed since Betty even heard of this band name… she immediately knows who the people in this band are. The memories of a night in a pub in Maryland return to her, the image of Archie Andrews playing his guitar in a small stage, smiling at a pretty brunette, a long-haired guy playing the piano in the background showing up in her spinning mind.

_Vortex is Archie’s band._

She tries to hide her shock as best as she can while she smiles at the reception lady one more time, saying a short “Thank you” before she turns around and walks back to the elevators.

Her body feels a bit numb when she pushes the elevator button and she folds the flyer in her hands while she waits for one of the two doors to open.

The number above her shows that both elevators seem to be up in the sixth floor right now and Betty is about to turn to the stairs to her right when the music echoes through the wall once more.

She freezes in place, carefully listening to the dull tones, never really finding out what song is playing. For a short moment she turns her head back to the reception lady and watches how she is already talking to new guests.

And before Betty can change her mind, she takes a few fast steps forward and hurries in the corridor where the music is coming from, feeling like a child that is sneaking out of detention.

There are too many questions on her mind right now and that’s something Betty Cooper can’t stand. Maybe that’s the reason she became an FBI agent… because she wants to know the answer to every question.

_Why is Vortex playing in this Hotel?_

_How is it possible that the band still exists?_

_And why didn’t Archie tell me about this last week?_

Well, the answer to her last question seems to be easy. _Because we don’t know each other well enough._

While she keeps walking through the long corridor, the music gets louder with every step until she finally reaches a big, wooden door. She hesitates for a moment, her hand hanging in the air right above the doorknob.

After taking a deep breath she finally opens the door slowly, trying her best to be inconspicuous.

The music gets a lot louder once she takes a small step into the room, her eyes already fixed on the stage at the end of the wide area.

Before she can even see anything, Archie’s singing voice is drifting through her mind and it takes all her power to ignore the weird feeling inside her chest, telling her that this isn’t bothering her anymore.

The room is filled with many round tables and dimmed light, the stage on the other side illuminated with many different colored lights.

Of course, the first person Betty spots is Archie.

He is standing on the left side of the stage, a black guitar in his hands matching his grey pants and black shirt, his eyes shining in the stage-lights while he sings an unknown song into the microphone. On the right side of the stage is the brunette girl Betty got to know in Maryland.

_Sarah Thompson…?_

She doesn’t really remember every detail, but she knows that this girl is still as pretty as she was back then.

In the background of the stage is the long-haired guy with his piano just like four years ago and somehow Betty can’t help but smile about the little group up there.

_It’s pretty admirable that they’re still together as a band._

Betty takes a few steps closer until she spots Veronica sitting at one of the many tables in the first row right before the stage, her head nodding in the rhythm to the music.

She tries her best to be silent and invisible on her way through the room until Betty is finally reaching Veronica’s table and she is sitting down on the chair right next to her. “So, that’s the reason you’re not answering your phone”, she says in a playful tone and watches how her best friend turns to her with shock written on her face.

“Oh god, Betty! You scared the hell out of me”. The dark-haired girl smiles, even when she seems a bit unsure at first. They both turn their faces back to the stage, watching the three people performing a new song that seems to be an original of the band.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you hired Archie’s band for the Hotel?” Betty’s question sounds casual, even though the sight of the red-haired man a few feet away from her is beginning to make her feel uneasy once again.

“I kind of forgot about it”, Veronica confesses with a light shoulder shrug. “And to be honest, I wasn’t really sure if you would even care, you know? I mean… with everything that happened between you two… I didn’t want to sprinkle salt on this old wound”.

“There isn’t an old wound”. A quiet but slightly hysteric laughs escapes Betty’s mouth.

“So, you’re telling me that all of it is forgot and forgiven?”

Betty knows by the way Veronica’s black hair is moving beside her that she is looking at her to find out her reaction, but the blonde girl keeps her eyes fixed on the stage the entire time. “Yes. Yeah, totally. I mean all of that was such a long time ago… and I have Evan and I’m happy”.

She waits for Veronica’s answer while her eyes automatically find Archie on the stage, all different kinds of emotions rising in her chest when she witnesses how he smiles into the empty room, his big hands holding the guitar like it’s a part of his body.

“That’s good. So, this shouldn’t be a problem, right?”, Veronica replies.

“Yup. No problem at all”.

“Perfect”. Veronica leans in her direction, inconspicuously pointing to the right side of the room. “You see this guy over there? It’s a friend of Archie. He’s in the Navy as well.”

Betty turns her head, her eyes finding a blonde, tall guy with an attractive smile sitting about five tables away. “That was Archie’s roommate… Luke, I believe. Does he play in the band as well?”

“No, he said he’s here to support them as a part of the audience”. Veronica smiles. “Reggie likes him… it’s their second rehearsal today but they took some drinks together yesterday. Reggie says they’re all very nice people”.

_Of course, they are… they were nice to me as well, back then._

Before Betty can say anything in return the song ends and the music swings out in a soft melody.

She looks back up to the stage and finds a smiling trio and the moment Archie searches for Veronica’s reaction to their music is the first time he realizes Betty is here as well.

Their eyes lock for a short moment and she can tell by his expression that he is asking himself why she is even here, but before she can think more about that, he is speaking to Veronica through the microphone.

“What do you think, Veronica? This song as well?”

Veronica is standing up from her chair, softly clapping with her hands. „Yes! I think it’s safe to say that you can play all of your records if you want to. And we’ll discuss the list of the covers at the next rehearsal, alright?“

„Sounds good!“ That’s the last thing Archie says through the microphone before the band starts to put their instruments back into the fitting boxes.

Now that the music is out and there is nothing else than the sound of people walking over the small stage, Betty notices how out of place she seems in this room.

_I shouldn’t even be here._

„Where is Evan?“, Veronica says when she turns back to the table Betty is still sitting on, a curious expression on her face.

„Working late, tonight“.

„Oh, okay“. Veronica grabs the documents that were still laying on the round table when Betty’s eyes return to the stage.

She watches how the brunette girl walks over to the blonde guy who is now standing right in front of the stage, smiling at her in a proud way.

„And? What do you think?“, Sarah says with a wide grin.

„You guys were perfect“, Luke answers while he reaches her a hand.

„I know“, she only replies while she takes his hand and jumps down from the stage, her long hair waving through the air behind her. „Can’t wait for next week“.

Betty doesn’t want to think about it… but a tiny part of her is wondering if these two people are a couple.

_I always thought that she likes Archie… and that maybe… he would like her too, someday._

Betty remembers the night years ago, when she watched Vortex for the first time in a small bar in Maryland… and she also remembers how insecure she felt, watching the pretty brunette dance around Archie that night.

_Funny how jealous I was back then… and how much it affected my judgment._

Betty stands up, ready to leave the room before she has to talk to any of them.

„I’m going back upstairs, V. Evan should be back by now“, she explains to the woman beside her and Veronica nods softly, winking at her. „Have a nice evening“.

„You too“.

With that, Betty turns around, tearing her eyes away from the stage.

But once she reached the middle of the room and is a few feet away from the door, she can hear someone shouting her name behind her.

„Hey, Betty! Wait a second!“

_God, no._

For a second she actually considers to play deaf and just keep walking out of the room, but when the person calls for her a second time she closes her eyes while she freezes in place. _Damn it._

She turns around while taking a deep breath, watching how Archie is making his way towards her, the stage lights still reflecting on his red hair.

„What’s up?“, she asks in a polite way, crossing her arms in front of her chest while he stops right in front of her.

He seems to be out of breath judging his fast breathing and he runs his hands through his hair while he takes a short look at her work outfit.

„I have the car already in my garage. It’s very old, but that shouldn’t be a problem, the wedding is over a month away“, he says.

Several seconds pass by where she keeps starring back at him, the expression of total confusion painted on her face. „What… what are you talking about?“

He hesitates for a moment before he answers. „I’m talking about the old limousine Reggie and Veronica want to drive at their wedding“.

Betty never felt so confused before in her life and he seems to notice that the next time he speaks. „Shit, I thought you already knew… Reggie asked me to be his best man at the wedding. And he and Veronica have this very old car that they want to drive at the wedding, but it would need a miracle to get this thing running again. So Reggie asked me to fix and prepare it until July… and he said the bridesmaid will help me“.

That’s the first moment she actually looks him right in the eyes while she slowly starts to realize what exactly he is talking about.

_No way._

Her voice sounds a bit too high when she finally replies. „I… that’s the first time I hear about that.“

„Yeah, I can tell…“. He seems a bit amused over the shock on her face and she absolutely hates him for that.

_There is no way on earth I will fix a car with him._

„But why… why me?“, she brings over her lips. „I don’t get why I…“.

„Because you’re the bridesmaid and I’m the best man“, he replies while her answer fades away. „Reggie asked us to do this for them as a present for the wedding“.

„But…“.

„We did this before, remember?“, he interrupts her. „In High School… with my dad. It’s not just because you’re the bridesmaid, you’re also the only one that has some experience in that direction“.

The shock in her bones gets slowly replaced with fear.

Fear because she doesn’t want to spent time with Archie.

Fear of having to spent time with him _alone_.

Fear of tearing open old wounds.

„Archie, I don’t think this is a good idea“.

He looks at her with his eyebrows a bit raised while he puts his hands in the pockets of his shorts, a quiet question lingering on his lips. „And _why_ exactly?“

_Because when I spent more than a few minutes alone with you, I will scream at you so long, that will make up for the last four years._

Before she can answer something to his question he speaks again. „So… you need to find your own present… and you will have to tell Reggie and Veronica that you don’t want to do it“.

There is something in his expression that makes her freeze in place. Somehow he has the nerve to show a bit of provocation in his eyes and he speaks in a tone that sounds more challenging that it should be.

_Oh, I won’t be the one who backs down._

„No, it’s alright“, she replies as casual as possible. „I’m in“.

„You sure about that?“ He sounds neutral but somewhere deep down in his voice is lingering a hint of amusement.

„Yeah, why shouldn’t I?“, she replies while glaring back up to him.

„Well, just a minute ago you didn’t seem fine with it and…“.

„Oh, I’m _fine_ “. Her answer is direct and sounds way more snippy than she attended, but this guy is driving her crazy even though that’s the least thing on earth she wants right now.

„Good, I’m fine with it as well“, he simply replies, now with a deeper voice.

„Perfect“, she adds.

„Amazing.“

„Wonderful“.

„Great“.

„Spectacular“.

They both put on a fake smile at the exact same time, meeting each other with the same expression of reluctance.

_Oh, how I would like to punch him in the face._

„I thought we could start this Saturday“, Archie suggest after clearing his voice. „Or do you have other plans?“

„No, Saturday sounds good“, she answers a bit too fast which causes a slight smile in the corner of Archie’s lips.

„Perfect… then around 3pm… I’ll see you in my garage…“. He turns back to the stage while he says his goodbye, but before he walks away, he turns his head back to her, his eyes wandering over her body once again. „And just a little suggestion… office clothes and high heels won’t be useful when you fix a car“.

When he turns back around and walks back to the stage she would love to call something bad after him but all she can manage is a frustrated groan while she looks after him, watching how he jumps up to the stage again.

_What the hell am I doing now?_

**•••**

WhenBetty returns to her hotel apartment, Evan is already sitting on his side of the bed, in his hands some papers and documents.

„Hey, where have you been?“, he welcomes her with a tired smile the moment she walks through the door. „I’m sorry that I’m home so late again… this job isn’t exactly what I had in mind when I left Yale and… I guess I’m just struggling with the daily problems there a bit“.

„Don’t be sorry“, Betty answers while she kicks off her shoes and walks around the bed, sitting down right beside him on the soft mattress. „I know your job isn’t easy“. Her eyes fall to the documents in his hands. „Evan, you shouldn’t bring your work to your home. Leave it there… separate work and your private life“.

„You’re right“. He takes a deep breath when he puts the papers to the small table beside the bed and Betty makes the decision that she needs to share her problems with him, just like he is sharing hims with her.

„Evan, there is something I need to tell you“.

She tries her best to sound as casual as possible but her choice of words alone, paired with the melody of the sentence brings an alarmed expression on Evan’s face. „You can tell me everything, Betty“.

_I know… and I love you for that._

The hesitation in her doing is clear because it takes her several seconds until she finally speaks. „Do you remember my ex-boyfriend Archie Andrews?“

She lifts her gaze to look him directly in the eyes, trying to read his reaction on his face.

„Yes… I remember him“. He raises his eyebrows a bit, a quiet laugh coming over his lips. „I have some fun memories of him and me fighting in a bar in New Haven.“

She joins his laughter with a pained smile, her heartbeat suddenly sitting right in her throat. „He is here… he is in Riverdale. And I talked to him today. I actually just met him down in the lounge area“.

Silence spreads between them, but before Evan can say anything to that, Betty keeps talking. „Apparently he is Reggie’s best man for the wedding and I’m Veronica’s bridesmaid.“

She holds in for a second, her eyes falling to her hands. „And they want us to fix some old car as a present for their wedding. I know this sounds stupid, but Archie and I have been doing this quite a lot when we were younger and I understand where Veronica and Reggie are coming from with this idea“.

Her eyes are still fixed on her hands, her fingers playing with the soft fabric of the dark-red bedsheets beside her. „They want to drive that car on their wedding day… I have no idea what’s so special about this limousine, but I guess I don’t really have a choice here… I can’t disappoint Veronica when it comes to her wedding, Evan. And I already agreed to help Archie with all of it“.

With each word her voice gets a little quieter than before and when Evan doesn’t answer immediately, she looks back up to him, finding his confused expression.

„All of that happened just minutes ago… and I wanted to tell you about it“.

He seems to listen to her words carefully and to be honest, Betty knows all of these informations are a lot to take.

When Evan finally speaks, his words sound much softer than she expected. „So… Archie Andrews is back in town… and you need to fix a car with him for the wedding of Veronica Lodge?“

„Yes…“.

He seems to notice the nervousness in her expression. „Betty relax… it’s not like you’re telling me that the world in ending tomorrow“.

She loves how he puts a smile on her face even in moments like this. „I know but…“.

„There is no _but_ “, he replies. „I don’t like your ex and you know that. I never liked him. He was a jerk back when he was still your boyfriend and he was a total idiot for breaking up with you a few years ago“.

There isn’t a fitting answer to that so Betty just stays silent.

„But if you need to do this for Veronica…“. He takes a deep breath in the middle of the sentence. „… then do it. But are you sure that you want to see this guy again? I mean I know your backstory… I know what he did to you“.

She answers before the painful memories of New York can return to her. „I’ll be alright, Evan. I’m not the stupid girl I used to be“.

„I know… and you were never _stupid_ , Cooper“.

He reaches out and his hands cup her own, stopping her from moving the bedsheet from one hand to the other. „I’m not happy that you have to spent time with him… but I won’t be that kind of boyfriend who is telling his girlfriend what she should do“.

_You’re perfect, Evan._

„I love you“, she softly answers and leans into him, letting him pull into a hug.

She closes her eyes while she feels relief rising in her body.

He holds her close for several minutes, his hands on her back, his cheek on her hair.

„Should I be worried, Betty?“

When he speaks again, she can’t really tell what kind of emotions are hidden behind his question or what exactly he means with his words.

But she shakes her head either way, her eyes still closed while she pushes the image of a red-haired guy out of her mind, desperately concentrating on the presence of her boyfriend right in front of her.

„No“, she says while her heart seems to jump inside her chest. „There is nothing to be worried about“.

She holds him tighter after that, silently praying that she isn't just convincing him, but also convincing herself. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter... we're still in the "beginning" part of the story right now and I'm excited when we move further :)  
> It would mean a lot to me to hear your thoughts on the chapter!!  
> I hope you're all well and healthy! ❤️


	4. Tell them the fairytale gone bad

  


**"This is the end, you know  
Lady, the plans we had went all wrong  
We ain't nothing but fight and shout and tears.**

**Out of my head, out of my bed**  
**Out of the dreams we had, they're bad**  
**Tell them it's me who made you sad**  
**Tell them the fairytale gone bad."**

Archie knew the moment he saw Sarah and Jerry park their car on the street in front of his house, that this summer would become much more entertaining than he had imagined.

After inviting them in, showing them their places to sleep which he spontaneously placed in his mothers old bedroom and the coach in the living room, Archie has to listen to the hour-long monologue of Sarah raving about the beautiful landscapes right outside of Riverdale.

„You never told us that your hometown is so pretty“, she complains when she searches something eatable in his freshly stocked refrigerator.

„Lies in the eye of the beholder“, he responds while Jerry who is leaning against the doorframe is quietly laughing over his words.

„Oh common!“, Sarah retorts. „Don’t tell me you think Riverdale isn’t a beautiful place?“

He has to think about his answer for a moment. „Well, it’s better than Annapolis for sure“.

„True“.

Luke arrives one day later, wearing shorts, sunglasses and the most amused and arrogant smile when he carries his two packed bags through the front door.

“Oh look, sunny boy is here”, Sarah jokes while sitting on the couch in the living room, starring at the papers of lyric laying on her lap, rolling her eyes while Luke steps into the room.

“Miss _know-it-all_ as well, how it seems”, he replies casually while ripping the glasses from his face, turning to Archie for a welcoming hug. “Thank you for letting me stay here”.

“No problem”, Archie simply answers. “It’s great to have you all here before we go different ways in September”.

“You know that’s not completely sure, right?”, Sarah adds while she seems to search for a specific document in the pile on her legs. “Maybe we’ll be lucky enough to get sent to the same location”.

“Maybe”.

They all get lost in their thoughts for a moment after this, wondering what exactly the future will bring to them.

“I don’t know about you…”, Luke is the first one to speak again, the bright smile reappearing on his sun-tanned face. “… but I rather live in the here and now.”

He turns around to Archie, winking at him playfully. “So, tell me Archie. What makes your little hometown so special?”

Archie grabs his keys from the commode beside him when he answers. “I’ll show you”.

**•••**

They end up at POPs ten minutes later.

After ordering some burgers and shakes for everyone, Luke, Sarah, Jerry and Archie sit down at a booth at the end of the restaurant.

“And why exactly is this Diner so special?”, Luke repeats his question from before and Archie just shakes his head, pointing at POPs who is already carrying their order to the table.

“I guess the food will answer your question”.

And it does. At least Luke doesn’t speak for the next fifteen minutes while he seems to inhale his fries without bothering to breath while he mumbles something like “… not so bad…”.

**•••**

They have their first rehearsal at the Lodge-Hotel three days later.

It’s the first time Archie sees the whole building and he can’t help but smile at the beauty of it.

“Reggie… this place is great”, he admits when they follow the householder through the entrance area to the huge lounge room at the end of one of the many corridors.

“Thanks… Veronica chose most of the furniture and colors”.

_Yeah, I can tell_ ; Archie thinks while he admires the tasteful interplay of dark and elegant colors.

When Sarah sees the stage for the first time she nearly passes out because of happiness while Jerry is trying his best to calm her down a little bit.

Luke is sitting at a table right in front of the stage during their first round of rehearsal and the second Archie’s finger stroke over his guitar and Sarah’s voice echoes through the hall, he knows – _this is the right thing to do._

Reggie invites them to the Hotel-Bar the same evening and they spent hours with talking and catching up on topics they never really got the chance to talk about.

Around midnight and after their fifth round of drinks and loud laughter over one of Luke’s many stories of his time at the beach in Huntingtown, Reggie pulls Archie to the side, refilling his drink while he speaks.

“Archie… I know this might be a bit unexpected… but I want you to be my best man at the wedding”.

Archie stares at the dark liquid in his glass for a long moment before he looks back up to Reggie. “Really?” His voice if filled with astonishment.

“Yes. I know we haven’t been much in contact these last few years. But I don’t have any brothers and the friends I made at college aren’t really the kind of people I want to have at my wedding.” He holds in for a moment, seems to search for the right words to say. “And you were always a good friend to me, Andrews. And I know you care about Veronica and you are important to her as well. So, this just feels like the right thing to do, you know?”

“Wow… I don’t know what to say”, he answers honestly.

“Then say yes”, Reggie replies while he raises his glass up in the air.

The grin on Reggie’s face is contagious and Archie can’t help but to smile as well. He raises his own drink, clinks their glasses in the middle. “I’m in”.

They drink to his answer and Archie tries to picture himself in a suit at Reggie’s wedding while the liquid is running down his throat.

“There is something else I need to ask you”, Reggie adds as soon as Archie puts his empty glass back down on the table. “There is this old car that used to be family heirloom. My parents inherited from my grandparents and now they want to give it to me so Veronica and I can drive it on the wedding day”. 

“Okay?” His reply sounds like a question.

“I wouldn’t ask you if I didn’t know that you are good at something like this… but I want you to prepare the car for our wedding day. The engine seems to be broken, the brakes are ruined, and I don’t even want to talk about the lacquer…”. He reaches for the bourbon bottle, filling their glasses once again. “My family isn’t the most talented group of people when it comes to cars. And I don’t want to hire a company for something like this. So, I’m asking you… can you do this, Andrews?”

Archie takes a moment to think about his request before he comes to the conclusion that he doesn’t really have a choice and he doesn’t have much more to do either way. “I’ll do it, Reg. No Problem”.

A relieved smile appears on Reggie’s face. “You have no idea how glad I am… thank you”. He raises his glass but before he drinks, he adds. “Oh and Cooper will help you, by the way.”

Archie almost chokes on his drink. “What?!”

“Cooper. Betty Cooper. She is Veronica’s bridesmaid”, Reggie replies in the most casual way.

Pure shock is painted on Archie’s face. “And does she know about this?”

“I think so”, Reggie answers with a shoulder shrug. “Veronica said she asked her… or wait… I think she will ask her tomorrow… or was it yesterday… screw that, who cares”. Reggie laughs over his own words. “The point is that you can use that as your wedding present for us. So, you don’t have to worry about that anymore”.

“Great”. Archie knows that there is sarcasm lingering is his answer but Reggie doesn’t seem to notice when they clink their glasses once again.

“I can’t wait for the wedding…”, Reggie says with a wide smile.

Archie only nods, his mind picturing Betty’s face when she will find out about the car situation.

_This will be a disaster._

**•••**

It turns out that Veronica never told Betty about the limousine they will have to fix.

Because when Archie sees the blonde girl during the band rehearsal the next day, she seems more than clueless about the brand-new information.

His heart drops the moment he spots her sitting beside Veronica right in front of the stage, her green eyes fixed on the guitar in his hands while he sings. The moment their eyes meet his voice breaks for a second during Sarah’s song and he wonders if Betty notices something some small details like this.

He tries to avoid looking in her direction for the rest of the song but when he speaks to Veronica right after the first part of the rehearsal, there isn’t really a chance to look in another direction.

“What do you think, Veronica? This song as well?”

„Yes! I think it’s safe to say that you can play all your records if you want to. And we’ll discuss the list of the covers at the next rehearsal, alright?“

„Sounds good!“ That’s the last thing Archie says through the microphone before the band starts to put their instruments back into the fitting boxes. 

Archie doesn’t even notice small things like that Sarah is running to Luke as soon as she put the bass back into her case because his eyes are already back on Betty as he watches her turn away from the stage, obviously ready to leave the room.

“Hey, Betty! Wait a second!” He calls after her in the moment he lays the guitar on the ground right beside him.

When he jumps off the stage and she still doesn’t react to his words, he calls another time. “Betty, wait!”

She whirls around and he watches her blonde waves fly over her shoulders in a soft move as he tries to hide the admiration in his eyes.

“What’s up?”, she says.

„I have the car already in my garage. It’s very old, but that shouldn’t be a problem, the wedding is over a month away“, he says and in the moment his words leave his mouth he already knows by the confused look on her face, that she doesn’t seem to have any idea what he is talking about.

„What… what are you talking about?“

He hesitates for a moment before he answers. „I’m talking about the old limousine Reggie and Veronica want to drive at their wedding“. 

The confusion on her face is only getting worse, so he adds: „Shit, I thought you already knew… Reggie asked me to be his best man at the wedding. And he and Veronica have this very old car that they want to drive at the wedding, but it would need a miracle to get this thing running again. So Reggie asked me to fix and prepare it until July… and he said the bridesmaid will help me“. 

That’s the first moment she actually looks him right in the eyes and even though he totally understands that several years of separation and a huge amount of pain is standing between them, it still hurts a bit to see that distant look on her face.

Her voice sounds a bit too high when she finally replies. „I… that’s the first time I hear about that.“ 

„Yeah, I can tell…“. He can’t help but to fight against the small smile on the corner of his mouth because damn – he doesn’t even have the right to be amused about this.

But to be honest… now that the first shock of seeing Betty again after all these years is slowly fading away and he can look at her without the constant fear that she will disappear when he blinks for a second too long, the numb feeling of a weird kind of longing is growing inside him.

It’s not the kind of longing he once felt when he was around her.

It’s more the feeling that he wants to speak to her, without her starring him down like he is the last person on this earth she wants to talk too.

„But why… why me?“, she finally brings over her lips. „I don’t get why I…“. 

„Because you’re the bridesmaid and I’m the best man“, he replies. „Reggie asked us to do this for them as a present for the wedding“. 

„But…“. 

„We did this before, remember?“, he interrupts her. „In High School… with my dad. It’s not just because you’re the bridesmaid, you’re also the only one that has some experience in that direction“. 

She stays silent for a moment while he can see the clear hesitation on her face. „Archie, I don’t think this is a good idea“. 

He looks at her with his eyebrows a bit raised while he puts his hands in the pockets of his shorts, a quiet question lingering on his lips. „And _why_ exactly?“ 

_As if I don’t know why_ ; he admits in his head. _I was a fucking coward. I hurt you… I lost you… and now you can’t even look me in the eyes._

He speaks again before she has the chance to answer. „So… you need to find your own present… and you will have to tell Reggie and Veronica that you don’t want to do it“. 

Archie can’t really tell why there is the sudden mixture of anger and sadness inside his chest, but he can’t fight the urge to bring out any kind of emotion of Betty Cooper.

He absolutely hates the feeling that he isn’t even able to reach her anymore and he hates it even more that he actually cares about that.

Because he has no right to be sad, he has no right to be mad.

But he simply needs to bring any kind of reaction out of the girl… -woman in front of him, if it’s bad or good isn’t even important anymore.

And the moment she sees the look on his face, she finally answers. „No, it’s alright… I’m in”.

_Wait, what?_

„You sure about that?“ He sounds neutral but somewhere deep down in his voice is lingering a hint of shock. 

„Yeah, why shouldn’t I?“, she replies while glaring back up to him. 

„Well, just a minute ago you didn’t seem fine with it and…“. 

„Oh, I’m _fine_ “. Her answer is direct and sounds kind of snippy. _She is mad._

„Good, I’m fine with it as well“, he simply replies, now with a deeper voice. 

„Perfect“, she adds. 

„Amazing.“ 

„Wonderful“. 

„Great“. 

„Spectacular“. 

They both put on a fake smile at the exact same time, meeting each other with the same expression of reluctance. 

„I thought we could start this Saturday“, Archie suggest after clearing his voice. „Or do you have other plans?“ He knows damn well that he sounds a bit provocative with his last question but he just can’t get the image of Betty and Evan Campbell out of his head.

„No, Saturday sounds good“, she answers a bit too fast which causes a slight smile in the corner of Archie’s lips. 

„Perfect… then around 3pm… I’ll see you in my garage…“. He turns back to the stage while he says his goodbye, but before he walks away, he turns his head back to her, his eyes wandering over her body once again. He probably shouldn’t… but he just can’t resist to add: „And just a little suggestion… office clothes and high heels won’t be useful when you fix a car“. 

He turns around before she can yell at him and he can feel her eyes on his back when he returns to the stage, a weird mixture of shock and relief circling inside his body.

_This will be interesting._

**•••**

Archie wakes up early on Saturday.

It’s only six in the morning when he grabs some shorts and an old shirt and leaves the house, carefully trying not to wake up Sarah in his mom’s bedroom or Jerry and Luke in the living room.

He jogs through the whole town while the fresh morning air blows through his lungs and the summer sun rises behind the rooftops of the neighborhood.

When he returns home one hour later, Luke is standing in his kitchen, the smell of pancakes hanging in the whole room.

“Up early, huh?” The blonde guy says with raised eyebrows while Archie sinks down on a chair at the counter, catching his breath while he nods.

“Yeah… I felt like going for a run today”.

Luke searches for a plate in one of the cupboards when he says. “Why didn’t you tell me that your ex is back in town as well?”

The question catches Archie off guard, and he stares at the pancake Luke places on the table in front of him. “Because it’s not important”, he finally brings over his lips.

“Hm”. Luke sounds a bit amused when he turns back to the stove behind him. “It’s been a long time since I saw the little princess…”.

Archie can’t help but to roll his eyes at the nickname Luke gave Betty after their breakup. _“It fits”, he used to tell him back then. “She is well raised, she is smart, pretty, blonde… she goes to Yale, for god’s sake. So, she’s a princess”._

“I seemed like you two were having some kind of discussion in the hotel lounge yesterday”, Luke adds all casual, pulling Archie back from his memories.

“I told her that we have to prepare the car for Veronica and Reggie’s wedding… _together_ ”.

“Well… that sounds… like fun”, Luke replies, and Archie can clearly hear the smile on the corner of his mouth. “Isn’t she like… in a new relationship… and still pissed at you for what you did?”

“I think I’m gonna go and take a shower”, Archie breaths out while he gets back up, ignoring the pancake just like Luke’s question and even though he is already out the door, he can still hear Luke’s laugh when he walks up the stairs.

**•••**

Archie and his three guests spent the day in his house. Jerry and Sarah are working on some new melodies on the keyboard while Luke is reading some of the lyrics that is spread all over the couch in the living room.

When the clock strikes 3 Luke winks at him while he leaves the living room with a short “See you guys later”.

He walks through his front yard, standing on the grass for a while, his eyes moving to the house next door.

_She isn’t living here anymore_ ; he reminds himself. _No need to keep looking at the window._

The sun is blinding him and the warm summer breeze is blowing against his shorts and simple, white shirt while he turns around and walks towards the small garage beside the house.

When he steps into the room and sees the car Reggie brought him two days ago, he realizes that he actually has to spend some time with Betty again… _alone_.

_Fuck._

He walks around the car and starts to collect several tools he will need from the different shelves, the silence around him ringing in his ears.

Five minutes later he opens the hood of the car, taking a look at the inner life of the limousine.

_Jesus…_

His eyes wander over the engine and the moment he wants to pull at the cylinder, a whole part of the old battery breaks off and falls, ripping some of the damaged and dusty wires apart.

“It’s gonna take a miracle to fix this thing”, he murmurs.

The moment he wipes off some black oil from his hands onto his shorts, the door behind him opens.

“I’m sorry I’m late”. He can hear Betty before he can see her when her voice breaks the silence around him.

He turns to the clock on the wall before he faces her. “You’re just five minutes late… I think you’re good”. When he turns to her he tries his best to behave normal and not to look at her like a total psycho.

But the truth is, Archie hasn’t seen Betty for many, many years. And now she feels like some sort of imagination to him and the more he looks at her, the more he fears she will disappear again.

So, he tries his best to ignore the black shorts she is wearing or how pretty she looks in that simple, blue shirt. He also tells himself that her longer hair doesn’t suit her… but Archie was never a good liar. Not even to himself.

He turns his face away from her, leans over the car once again, waiting for her to make the next move.

“So, that’s the car”, she says, and he nods with his eyes fixed to the engine in front of him.

“I’m not gonna lie… it’s a total mess”. He doesn’t care about the fact that he sound’s like a pessimist.

“Let me see”. And suddenly she is standing beside him and he can’t pretend that he isn’t surprised about the way her hands start to inspect the engine piece by piece. 

“The entire interior needs to be replaced”, she whispers while Archie remembers all the times he used to fix old cars with her and his dad by his side. _Feels like another lifetime._

“I think we can fix a few things”, he replies the moment she pulls back from the car and he looks her in the eyes for the first time that day. “The coolant tank or the windshield washer tank can stay, but we need to change the different wires”.

She nods while the lights on the wall glitter in her green eyes and he has to turn away from her face before he starts hating himself even more about the mistakes he made.

“Do you have new wires?”, she asks while he turns to the shelf behind him.

“I have a few”, is his reply as he grabs one from the drawer below him. “This one should fit for the oil filter”.

When he turns back around to her she is pulling her hair up into a ponytail and for a moment he is forgetting his plan to not stare at her more than he needs to. The ponytail that once reaches her neck is now falling to the middle of her back and for a moment, he actually wonders if the image of her is just an imagination after all.

“Okay… ready”, she says once her hair is stuck in place and he can’t help but to smile a bit, his eyes drawn to her appearance.

_Here she is;_ he thinks, admiring the look of her ponytail. _That’s the Betty I used to know._

He hands her the wire, watching how she steps closer to the car again, completely concentrated like she always used to be.

The next few minutes go by without any of them saying a word and at first Archie feels like he needs to fill the silence somehow but after a moment, he decides that he wants to let Betty choose the moments she wants to speak.

_This is awkward… but also nice;_ he realizes after fifteen minutes of silence.

He is searching in his shelfs for more spare parts while she is working on the engine behind him.

And then, suddenly, Archie can hear Betty softly humming in the background. At first, he is convinced that he is just imagining it. But when he closes his eyes for a moment and listens to her behind his back, he realizes that she is in fact humming some melody.

When he turns around to her she stops, and he reaches her another wire.

For a short moment they look into each other’s eyes, right before she turns back to the car and he tears his eyes away and stares at the wall behind her.

“Do you remember our School Musical?” The question slips over his tongue before he can even think about it and his words hang in the air like knifes that are ready to cut him down.

She doesn’t look at him when she answers. “You mean Heathers? Or Carrie?”

_Don’t say it, don’t say it._

“I mean Hedwig and the Angry Inch”. _For god’s sake._

He could kill himself for saying that oud loud but somehow being right here in this garage with her takes him back to a time he started to realize how much she really meant to him.

An old cord gets ripped out of the car from Betty’s hands and she throws the thing to the floor, her eyes still drawn to the engine. “I remember”.

It’s like they are tipping around their past like it’s a forbidden story and Archie knows he doesn’t have the right to talk about it. But seeing Betty here in front of him just like when they were younger keeps reminding him what a huge impact of his life, she once had… and how he destroyed every little string that once held them together.

It was easy not to think about her after some time.

But having her here right beside him is way harder than he had imagined.

“So… what are you doing?”, he asks her the moment he walks around the car and opens the door of the passenger seat to take a look at the coupling.

“Fixing a car”, she answers a little annoyed.

“I mean what are you doing for living?”, he adds with a little smirk, his eyes laying on the old radio.

It stays silent for a long moment while he regrets his question immediately. But finally, she answers. “I’m currently working at the FBI station here in Riverdale”.

An image of her with a gun and an FBI belt is appearing in his mind. “That’s great”, he answers.

Another minute filled with silence.

“And… how are you? Are you happy?” He sounds like a total jerk, but he can’t find another way to keep the conversation going.

_Common, Betty… I know I messed up. But I need to know if you’re okay._

“I’m perfect”, she finally answers and he can’t even see her because of the raised car hood between them.

“That’s good”.

He can hear her working on the wires for a few quiet seconds until he dares to ask another question. “And are you… do you have… are you in a relationsh- “

This time he seems to have overstepped the curve and he winces when she suddenly grabs the car hood and closes it with a loud bang.

He gets outside the car just in time to see her standing in front of his shelves, an angry look on her face.

“Are you seriously asking me if I’m in a relationship?” Her voice is steady but something about the way she keeps looking at him tells him that there are much deeper emotions laying underneath her calm-looking surface.

“I’m just trying to be polite”, he replies.

“Oh no, you’re not being polite!”, she says while she wipes her hands on one of the dirty towels that are laying on the commode beside her. “And to be honest, you don’t really have the right to know anything about me”.

She takes the towel and throws it back on the commode a little too hard. “… at least anymore”.

Archie knows that she is trying her best to stay calm right now and they are much more emotions inside her than she is trying to show in this moment.

_So, we’re still doing this… we’re still playing this charade?_

“Betty, I’m…”.

“Yes, I’m in a relationship”, she interrupts him with fast spoken words. “And I’m happy with him.”

Suddenly her eyes find his through the room and the few steps between them seem to turn into a much bigger distance.

Maybe it’s the fact that he doesn’t seem surprised by her words. Maybe it’s the fact that he is wearing the same look on his face like the one time, Betty told him about Evan Campbell four years ago.

And just like that, Betty seems to realize the truth.

“You already know”. Her voice is quieter than before, and she seems to speak more to herself than to him.

He shrugs with his shoulders, not really sure what to say. “I saw you with him when he picked you up at POPs last week.” His eyes fall to the ground because he can’t stand her looking at him anymore. “And I’m happy for you… _and Evan_.”

Silence spreads between them while he can feel her eyes on him, burning holes into his body second by second, the name of her boyfriend lingering in the air. 

“You know… you were never a good liar”. When she speaks her words sound like an accusation.

He looks back up again, meets her eyes again while he slowly watches the mask on her face falling apart.

“What do you want me to say? What should I do?” An ironic smile creeps on his face. “Do you want me to do a joy dance… do you want me to say that I always knew he had feelings for you, even though you never believed me?!” He hates how his own words seem to hurt him.

“I don’t want you to do anything of that!” And suddenly her voice gets a lot louder than before as her true emotions _finally_ break through.

He can see her biting on her lips, her own way to shut herself up. She turns her face away from him, obviously trying to conceal her feelings.

_She is acting restrained again._

_Please talk to me Betty... it doesn't matter what you say, but please look at me one more time._

That’s the moment Archie realizes that this might be the only chance he really gets to talk to her, so he finally speaks the words that have been laying on his tongue since he saw her last week.

“Talk to me”, he pleads. “Shout at me, if you want. Yell at me and tell me what a bad person I am. Do anything you want but don’t act like I’m a _stranger_ to you”.

“But you ARE a stranger to me!” The moment she turns her face back to him there isn’t just anger in her voice, there is also a huge amount of sadness in her eyes.

Her words echo through the whole garage and he silently thanks his dad for making this whole thing soundproof.

“God, I… I should go”, she coughs out but the moment she wants to turn around he takes a step forward, reaching for her arm to plead her to stay. “Don’t go”.

She tears her arm away from him, fury painted in her green eyes. “Don’t go?”, she repeats while a sad smile cracks over her face.

“ _Don’t go_ …”, she repeats another time.

His heart drops the second he can see a small tear appearing in the corner of her eye, her stare meeting him with so much intensity that he freezes in place.

“Do you remember when I said those words to you?”, she almost whispers. “Do you?”

Of course, he remembers. “Betty…”.

“I _begged_ you to stay with me!”, she suddenly says, her voice breaking by each word. “Back in New York… I told you to stay, I said don’t go. I _begged_ you, Archie”.

And just like that the tear runs down her cheeks while he can do nothing more than to stand here and watch her cry.

“And you… you left me anyway”.

Her voice is the most heartbreaking sound he ever heard while his heart seems to stop while he watches her cry right in front of him.

He wants to hug her.

He wants to tell her how sorry he is.

He wants to explain why he did it.

But nothing seems to work anymore, he can’t think, he can’t speak, he can’t even breath anymore.

He isn't the boy he used to be and the person in front of him isn't the girl he used to know. 

But this is the very first time Archie and Betty _really_ talk to each other again... and even though it's a heartbreaking conversation, Archie feels like he is somehow reuniting with an old friend. 

“And the best part about all of this?”, Betty suddenly says while her eyes find his own once again. “You never even gave me the chance to say goodbye.” She reaches up and wipes the tears away from her cheeks, heavy breathing coming over her lips. “You… you just left me there… _alone_. And you never even called back. You never showed up again”.

The sadness seems to fade away a tiny bit to make room for new anger. “Do you have any idea how I felt when you left me on that rooftop?! Without giving me any real warning or explanation? You… you just broke up with me… and you never gave a warning sign!”

_I gave so many signs._

Archie is letting her speak… because he never gave her the chance to do that four years ago.

And she seems to need that just like he needs to hear her words.

“I thought we were in this together”, she adds with a broken voice. “But you just left… you never came back.”

She wipes the new tears away with a heart wrenching smile on her lips. “And now… now you’re here again… and you act like nothing happened and you never did anything wrong. You stand here in this garage, acting like I’m the one who did a wrong thing, just because I was finally ready to move on with someone new”.

Forgotten is the car beside them, forgotten is the wedding.

In this moment it feels like time is finally starting to move faster again and Archie realizes that a part of him has been waiting for this conversation for four long years.

“So, you want me to yell at you?”, Betty adds while she throws the last wire she was holding in her hand the entire time to the commode beside her, tears of sorrow and fury glittering in her eyes. “You can have that. I was so mad at you, Archie. So fucking mad. Maybe it wasn’t all that bad for you, but I lost a lot in that night in New York. I didn’t only lose me boyfriend, I also lost my best friend for god’s sake!”

All the emotions she kept well hidden inside her body are rising to the surface now, mirroring on her flushed cheeks and trembling lips.

“And now…”. A painful smile appears on her face while she looks around the room. “Now _years_ have passed… and you’re back, just like that.”

Something flickers in the color of her eyes for a moment when she adds: “And I can’t even look at you anymore! Because every time I see you, I just get reminded of the things that happened and what you did to me. And now we are acting like nothing ever went wrong between us even though we both know that’s a lie”.

She stays silent for a moment and he takes a small step in her direction, desperately trying to calm her down a bit. “Betty, I never wanted…”.

“Don’t”, she interrupts him with one raised hand while her eyes fall back to his face.

“You never gave me the chance to speak in New York…”. The new tear on her face gets wiped away from her shaking hand. “… and I won’t let you speak now, as well”.

And suddenly she turns around and grabs the small bag she left on the floor beside the garage entrance.

His heart aches for her the moment she opens the door, but she turns back around one last time before she leaves. “You said I shouldn’t act like you’re a stranger to me...”.

The second her green, sad eyes meet his own he stops breathing, fear and devastation growing inside him.

When Betty speaks again her voice sounds quieter than before but the whirl of emotions inside her is cutting her words short. “... But _you_ made yourself a stranger four years ago.”

She tears her eyes away from him the exact moment she leaves through the garage and the second the heavy door slams shut the whole rooms appears much darker and quieter than before.

Archie keeps standing in this position for what feels like several minutes but at some point his knees give in and he sinks down on the garage floor beside the car, his head leaning against the car door, his eyes closed in the desperate need to erase the devastated look he just saw on Betty’s face.

It’s not like he never knew how bad he hurt her in New York.

But hearing it now in this kind of situation is way harder than he ever thought it could be.

_“But you made yourself a stranger four years ago”._

Betty’s angelic voice is echoing in the back of his head over and over again while he can hear nothing else than his own heartbeat inside his ears.

The silence is unbearable, so he stands up again after what feels like a whole hour, gets up to his feet, his tired eyes starring at the black car in front of him.

An ironic and sad smile appears on his face while his eyes keep lingering on the limousine in front if him.

_I couldn’t fix the car… and I couldn’t fix my relationship with Betty._

The realization of that hits him harder than it should, and he closes his eyes for a moment, concentrating on the numb feeling inside his whole body.

Maybe getting yelled at by Betty Cooper was something he not only deserved, but also something he needed as well.

Because now he knows that his mistakes aren’t just forget and forgiven… and that means that he is still able to fix the mess he created.

When he opens his eyes again, he knows that he has to make things right again.

Not only for himself… _for her._

He needs to apologize.

Betty doesn’t owe him anything anymore. But he needs to tell her how sorry he is for all of it… even though his apology comes way too late.

Damn it, Betty has been such a huge part of his life for a very long time. And now he can’t keep pretending like he doesn’t care about her anymore. He tried to ban her out of his mind for the past four years but now that he is here again, he sees the disaster he left behind.

Archie owes it to his past with Betty, that he at least tries to make things right again.

He knows that he could easily leave it like this. He will go back to the Navy after this summer either way.

But seeing Betty cry made him realize that he could never leave her like this behind ever again. No matter where he goes, he needs to set things straight before he leaves.

There are still three months to go before he has to leave Riverdale again and Archie surely doesn’t want to spent this time avoiding Betty on the streets just to see her in his dreams because of regret nevertheless.

So, he grabs the keys of his car and leaves the garage as well, following the voice that keeps haunting him inside his head while an old memory locks free inside his mind.

_I’m here for you Betty. I always have been._

When he gets inside his car, he adds a new part to his promise.

_And I always will be._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A HUGE thank you to the people who left a comment or kudos on the last chapter!! You have no idea how much this means to me! ❤️  
> So... Betty finally said a part of the things to Archie she kept inside for four whole years. But the conversation isn't finished here... but more won't fit into one chapter.  
> I hope I can upload the next chapter this weekend!  
> I wish you all a nice day!! 🖤


	5. This Is Me Trying

**"I've been having a hard time adjusting**   
**I had the shiniest wheels, now they're rusting**   
**I didn't know if you'd care if I came back**   
**I have a lot of regrets about that.**

**I just wanted you to know**   
**That this is me trying."**

When Betty gets ready for the car-fixing afternoon in Archie’s garage, she doesn’t really know what to expect.

She stands in her hotel apartment and changes her outfit several times, always finding something new to complain about. _This shirt is too chick, this shorts too short, that’s too old…_

When Evan comes back to the room with some Chinese takeaway, she just leaves the black shorts and blue shirt on, smiling while Evan gives her a soft kiss.

They eat while Evan tells her about his work from the day before and Betty listens quietly, trying to hide her nervousness about the fact that she will have to spend some time alone with her ex-boyfriend in just a few minutes.

When she is about to leave ten minutes later, Evan keeps sitting at the table, his eyes on her while she grabs her bag and car keys.

“I could come with you, if you want”, he suggests softly. “I mean you don’t have to go alone if you don’t want to… I could help you”.

An unsure smile appears on her face when she turns around to him one last time. “That’s sweet of you. But that’s something between Archie and me… I need to do this alone”.

He seems to understand while he stands up from his chair. “Call me when this jerk is getting on your nerves, alright?”

“I promise”. She smiles against his lips when he kisses her goodbye and his voice stays in her mind during her car ride through Riverdale.

She ignores the familiar feeling when she parks her car in front of her mother’s house and walks through the Andrews front yard.

After taking one last deep breath she opens the garage door, her legs a bit shacking when the overwhelming feeling of nostalgia hits her right in the face once she steps into the room.

“I’m sorry I’m late”. The words come over her lips in a strong sound and she is more than glad that her nervousness is slowly disappearing second by second. The smell of wood surrounds her and when she closes her eyes, it takes her back to a much simpler time.

A time when she was 10 years old, playing with Archie right here in this garage.

“You’re just five minutes late… I think you’re good”. Archie’s reply brings her back to the present and she tries her best to stay cool the moment he turns around to her for a second. One heartbeat long his eyes are on her before he turns back to the old car beside him.

“So, that’s the car”, Betty manages to say while she pushes herself to walk up to his side, her eyes fixed on the engine.

“I’m not gonna lie… it’s a total mess”, he replies, not even bothering to look at her.

_Good. I don’t feel like looking at you either._

“Let me see”, she simply answers and before he can say something to that, her hands are already buried inside the car, her mind fully concentrated on the engine in front of her. “The entire interior needs to be replaced”.

“I think we can fix a few things. The coolant tank or the windshield washer tank can stay, but we need to change the different wires”.

“Do you have new wires?”

“I have a few”. Archie turns around to search for the wires on the commode beside him and she uses that time to pull her hair up into a ponytail. 

When he turns back around she can clearly see his eyes on her hair for a long moment, but he seems to brush it off with his answer. “This one should fit for the oil filter”.

“Okay…”. Once her hair is stuck in place, she grabs the cable out of his hand and turns back to the car, ignoring the feeling of his eyes on her back.

_Stop looking at me like we’re still friends._

For the next few minutes no one says a word and Betty is glad when Archie disappears behind the opened car hood and she can relax a little bit more. Being back here in this garage feels like returning into a dream that has turned into a nightmare over the past years and with Archie right in front of her eyes, everything seems to overwhelm her.

“Do you remember our School Musical?” His question hits her unprepared and her if she wants it or not, her mind is immutably filled with memories of the night they both sand The Origin of Love right here in this room.

She hates him for bringing something like this up. “You mean Heather? Or Carrie?”

_Please don’t say it._

“I mean Hedwig and the Angry Inch”.

She could throw one of the wires against his head in that moment and it takes all her power to suppress the urge and swallow the whirl of emotions in her throat.

Memories of him and her singing, memories of fairy lights and memories of their kiss flash through her mind and there seems to be nothing she can do about the pain that follows.

 _That was our first real kiss_ ; she remembers.

And then she pushes the flashbacks out of her head and stays calm during her short answer: “I remember”.

She hopes he will stay silent after this, but of course he doesn’t.

When he suddenly asks her what she is doing, she immediately knows what he means but somehow, she doesn’t care for the right answer. “Fixing a car”.

“I mean what are you doing for living?”

She hates that he sounds all casual while he speaks´. “I’m currently working at the FI station here in Riverdale”.

“That’s great”.

Another minute filled with silence passes by.

“And… how are you? Are you happy?”

She holds still for a moment while thanking god that he isn’t able to see her behind the bonnet.

“I’m perfect”. There is a bit of sarcasm in her answer, but she isn’t quite sure if he notices it.

“That’s good”.

She rips out one of the old wires in front of her when she hears his voice once again, a new question leaving his mouth. “And are you… do you have… are you in a relationsh- “

This time she can’t swallow the rising anger inside her anymore and she grabs the car hood in front of her, closing it with loud bang.

The moment she turns to the shelfs Archie climbs out of the car and she faces him with anger written all over her face. “Are you seriously asking me if I’m in a relationship?”

“I’m just trying to be polite”, he claims.

“Oh no, you’re not being polite”. She grabs one of the towels beside her, wiping of the oil from her hands before she throws the fabric back own on the commode. “And to be honest, you don’t really have the right to know everything about me… at least anymore”.

Betty doesn’t really know where all of these emotions are coming from, but she doesn’t really bother to think about it too much.

“Betty I’m…”.

“Yes, I’m in a relationship”, she interrupts him wit fast spoken words. “And I’m happy with him”.

She looks him right in the eyes this time and it only takes a few seconds until she realizes that he doesn’t even seem surprised by her words. “You already know”.

“I saw you with him when he picked you up at POPs last week”. His eyes fall to the ground while he speaks. “And I’m happy for you… and Evan”.

There is something bitter in the way he pronounces Evan’s name which makes the blood in her veins boil. “You know… you were ever a good liar”.

When he looks back up to her and their eyes meet, she knows the emotionless mask on her face is about to break any second. “What do you want me to say? What should I do?” An ironic smile creeps on his face. “Do you want me to do a joy dance… do you want me to say that I always knew he had feelings for you, even though you never believed me?!”

How can he bring something like this up?

“I don’t want you to do anything of that!” And suddenly he voice gets a lot louder than before and she backs away, desperately trying to fight against the destructive emotions inside her. She turns away, closes her eyes for a moment.

_This was mistake. I shouldn’t have come here._

She ties to build the walls around her back up again, takes a few deep breathes to calm herself down.

But Archie seems to notice her intention because the next time he speaks, his voice is pleading, but also louder than before. “Talk to me… shout at me, if you want. Yell at me and tell me what a bad person I am. Do anything you want but don’t act like I’m a _stranger_ to you”.

“But you ARE a stranger to me!” The moment she turns her face back to him there isn’t just anger in her voice, there is also a huge amount of sadness in her eyes.

She hates how she feels because of him and she hates it even more that she allowed herself to show him his vulnerable side of her.

“God, I… I should go”.

“Don’t go”. She is surprised when he takes a step forward and his finger brush over the skin of her arm, but she tears herself away from him, fury painted in her green eyes. “Don’t go?”

A sad smile cracks over her face. “ _Don’t go_ …”.

Memories of a cold night in New York drift through her mind, the echo of her own, pleading voice cutting through her head like a knife, tearing open the boxes where she kept hidden all her feelings about this day.

When she looks back up to him, there is an ironic smile on her trembling lips. ““Do you remember when I said those words to you?”, she almost whispers. “Do you?”

 _He knows_. She can see it on his face when he speaks. “Betty…”.

“I _begged_ you to stay with me!”, she suddenly says, her voice breaking by each word. “Back in New York… I told you to stay, I said don’t go. I _begged_ you, Archie”.

And just like that the tear runs down her cheeks while she feels and feels and feels. In this moment, everything comes crushing down on her, every moment, every memory, ever feeling she tried to bury is rising to the surface at the same time. “And you… you left me anyway”.

New York might only a memory now… but Betty realizes that he has finally the chance to tell him everything that has been going on inside her during the time of their beak-up.

“And the best part about all of this?”, Betty suddenly says while her eyes find his once again. “You never even gave me the chance to say goodbye.” She reaches up and wipes the tears away from her cheeks, heavy breathing coming over her lips. “You… you just left me there… _alone_. And you never even called back. You never showed up again”.

The sadness seems to fade away a tiny bit to make room for new anger. “Do you have any idea how I felt when you left me on that rooftop?! Without giving me any real warning or explanation? You… you just broke up with me… and you never gave a warning sign! I thought we were in this together… but you just left… you never came back.”

She wipes the new tears away while her whole body seems to shatter under the emotions inside her chest and she stares up to Archie, wanting nothing more than to show him the pain he caused. “So, you want me to yell at you? You can have that. I was so mad at you, Archie. So fucking mad. Maybe it wasn’t all that bad for you, but I lost a lot in that night in New York. I didn’t only lose my boyfriend, I also lost my best friend for god’s sake!”

_Can’t you imagine how it felt when you not only left me behind, no, you left my life completely._

_Can’t you see what you did to me? Can’t you see how broken I felt?_

“And now…”. A painful smile appears on her face while she looks around the room.

She can’t look at the car because she remembers all those times they used to fix old cars when they were teenagers.

She can’t look at the microphone in the corner of the room because it will remind her of their band rehearsal.

And all above, she can’t look at him because he seems to embody the biggest curse in her entire life.

“Now _years_ have passed… and you’re back, just like that.” Something flickers in the color of her eyes for a moment when she adds: “And I can’t even look at you anymore! Because every time I see you, I just get reminded of the things that happened and what you did to me. And now we are acting like nothing ever went wrong between us even though we both know that’s a lie”.

_You want to hear me yell at you, Archie? Here you go._

Betty knows that there are tears on her cheeks when she stares back at his shocked and pained face, but she doesn’t even care anymore. This might be the only time she ever gets to tell him all of that and she wants him to feel at least a little bit sad about everything.

“Betty, I never wanted…”, he begins, his voice lower than before but she shuts him up before he can speak even more.

“Don’t”. She backs away another step, trying to get as much space between them as possible.

Finally, the feelings she held back for so long are leaving her body and now that the anger seems to fade away, there is nothing else left than sadness and misery. “You never gave me the chance to speak in New York… an I won’t let you speak now, as well”.

This probably isn’t the right thing to do, but Betty doesn’t care.

She turns around and tears her eyes away from the man in front of her, feeling how his sad eyes burn holes into her body.

_I have to get out of here._

With a blurry vision she grabs her bag from the floor beside the wall and she opens the door with shaking hands, the grief leaving her whole body in shock.

This whole moment hurts like hell… and yet, it feels incredibly liberating to finally speak the words in her mind out loud.

That’s the reason why she turns back around to Archie one last time, a sad smile on her face while she meets his devastated expression. “You said I shouldn’t act like you’re a stranger to me...”. She pauses for a moment and allows the memory of New York appear in her mind one more time, the echo of the pain she felt in that night returning to her once more. “... But _you_ made yourself a stranger four years ago.”

She turns around and leaves the garage before she can say even more and the sun is blinding her, reflecting in her tears when she stumbles back to her car.

_Well… that didn’t turn out how I planned._

“Fuck…”, she mumbles when she sits down on the driver seat, wiping the tears from her cheek while she looks at her red eyes through the small rearview mirror.

With one fast move she turns on the motor and starts driving, not really knowing where exactly she wants to go.

Back to the Hotel? Telling Evan what happened?

 _No_ ; she realizes. A part of her doesn’t want to worry Evan with something like this… another part of her doesn’t want him to show him that she is still crying about something that happened several years ago.

_God, I’m so stupid._

She keeps driving around Riverdale for what feels like forever, never really finding a fitting place to stop.

And somehow… she ends up at POPs.

She keeps sitting in her car for about five more minutes until the red color in her eyes is slowly disappearing and the all tears on her cheeks are wiped away.

The moment she steps out into the afternoon sun she breathes in the fresh summer air and puts on a smile when she walks over the parking lot and enters the little Diner with small steps.

POPs is almost empty around this time of the day which Betty is more than glad about. She isn’t really hungry nor is she thirsty, but she orders some fries and a small coke either way before she sits down in one of the many empty booths.

There are just three more people in the while Diner and they are sitting at the exact opposite of the long room, which gives Betty enough space to pull her phone out of her pocket.

Betty knows a lot of people she can always talk to about her problems, but none of them would understand why she is acting the way she does.

Expect one girl that got to witness Betty’s relationship problems over the last four years.

Betty presses the Call-button before she can think about it too much and ten seconds later, Jane McKenzie’s voice is drifting through the phone. “Hey Betty, how are you?”

“Hey, Jane. I’m fine… I just wanted to call and check in on you”.

A few seconds filled with silence go by until Jane answers. “Tell me what happened”.

And just like that, Betty tells Jane what happened since Archie Andrews returned to Riverdale. She tells her about his band and about his performance in the Hotel her and Evan are living in at the moment. She tells her about the day she met Archie at POPs. She tells her about the car situation and what happened just an hour earlier.

Jane listens to the whole story, not once interrupting her while she speaks and Betty can’t even express into words how happy she is that Jane is someone that is somehow able to understand all the silly drama she is going through right now.

“Jesus… I didn’t saw this coming…”, Jane admits after a while. “… at least not so soon”.

“Soon?”

“Yeah… I mean it was clear that you and Archie would run into one another someday. And common… after everything that went down in New York, it was nearly unavoidable that you would yell at him one day”.

Betty smiles at the waitress that brings her the food she ordered before she can answer Jane. “God, I feel so stupid… it’s embarrassing how I started crying right in front of him.”

“Relax… you’re only human. Shit happens but you have to deal with it. And now Archie finally got his payback for what he did to you. I mean… don’t you feel better now?”

“I guess I do…”, Betty has to think about her answer for a moment, her eyes fixed on the fries in front of her.

“He meant a lot to you”, Jane adds softly. “It’s only natural to act this way. But now you have to decide how you want to move on. Do you want to smooth things over? Or do you want to send him to hell?”

Betty can’t help but to smile about Jane’s choice of words. “Honestly… I have no idea”.

“You’ll know when you see him again”.

Betty is about to answer when she can hear the front door opening again and she lifts her face up, her heart dropping to her feet the moment she watches Archie step into the room.

What a cruel irony.

For a second, Betty hopes that he will order something as a take-away but then he turns in her direction, his eyes meet hers and she knows… he isn’t here for food.

He keeps talking with the waitress behind the counter for a short moment, until she reaches him a vanilla milkshake.

“Jane… if have to go”, she whispers into the phone when Archie starts to walk towards her table, her voice sounding hectic and higher than usual. “I’ll call you later, okay?”

She ends the call the same moment Archie stops right in front of her booth with an unreadable expression on his face.

“Hey…”, he finally says, and he has to clear his voice while his hand runs through his hair.

 _He is nervous;_ she realizes. _Good_.

“Can I sit down and talk to you for a moment?”

A part of Betty enjoys teasing him with a long pause filled with silence, before she finally nods and he takes a deep breath before he sits down on the other side of the table, right in front of her.

„How did you find me?“

He looks at her like the answer to her question is the most obvious thing in the world. „I guess POPs was the first place in my mind… so I came here first… and here you are“.

_Here I am._

It’s the first time in over four years Betty and Archie are sitting in a booth at POPs and somehow, Betty wants to laugh and cry about the familiar feeling all at once.

She puts her phone back into her pocket and crosses her arms in front of her chest, leans against the red upholstery behind her, feelings nervous but also curious about what’s to come.

Archie stares at the fries in front of her for a long moment while she can clearly see on his face that she seems to search for the right words to say to her. He places the vanilla milkshake right in front of her on the table beside her fries, silently showing her that he bought it for her. 

When he finally opens his mouth, his voice is steady and low. “There are a lot of things I want to say to you… but let me start with the most important one”. His eyes move back up to her so she can see the honesty in his dark eyes. “ _I’m sorry, Betty_ ”.

She tries her best to keep a calm face and to hide any kind of reaction in her expression.

“I’m sorry for leaving you in New York… I’m sorry for never calling back… I’m sorry that I didn’t give you the chance to say goodbye”.

His words are calming her down but are also pulling her back into her wild emotions from before while she realizes that she doesn’t want to continue their fight from before here in this Diner.

“Archie…”.

“No, I need you to hear this”, is his instant reply and the look in his eyes makes her words fade away immediately. “I need to tell you this because… I don’t want our story to end like this… at least not on a sad note”.

He clears his voice once again and for the first time in what feels like forever, Betty can see real regret in his eyes. “I never wanted to hurt you, Betty. Never, okay? But in the last months of our relationship, I realized that this long-distance-thing… this relationship was tearing us apart. At first, I ignored it… I don’t know if you remember this, but Luke and Jess broke up. I guess that was one of the first few moments I realizes that sometimes letting go is the better choice than holding on.”

A deep breath escapes his mouth and his eyes flicker down to his strawberry milkshake. “Every single time we saw each other, I kept noticing the sadnes on your face when we had to part ways again. I saw it in Huntingtown, I saw it when I visited you at Yale, I saw it when you came to Maryland.”

Pictures of the moments he is mentioning keep appearing in front of Betty’s eyes and with Archie’s voice in the background, all these memories seem to come to life for a short moment.

She holds her breath for a few seconds while she tries to concentrate on Archie’s words, even though her past seems to catch up to her in a rapid speed.

“I don’t know… I think when we went to New York, things hit a boiling point and I just couldn’t pretend like this relationship between us wouldn’t burn down in flames sooner or later.”

Something about the way he is telling her all of this is sending shivers down her spine. Betty knew that Archie wanted to end things between them because of the pain a long-distance-relationship caused, but she never got to hear all his thoughts behind his decision.

When he looks back up to her again, there is real sorrow in his eyes. “I didn’t do it because I stopped loving you. I did it because I couldn’t hurt you anymore… I thought that setting you free would be the only right way… and that you could have a much more carefree life without me constantly dragging you down”.

She doesn’t really know how to react to his words but there isn’t even much time to think about them before he keeps on talking.

“Betty, I knew that I messed everything up. We were always… best friends. You were my best friend since I was four years old for god’s sake… I… I know no matter what I say to you now won’t erase the past or undo the mistake I made… but I need you to know that I really loved you Betty. And all I wanted was to end all of this constant feeling of missing and longing for something that felt out of reach most of the time.”

And for a moment, Archie seems to be the little body he once used to be while he keeps looking at her with his brown eyes, waiting for her to show some kind of reaction to his apology.

“I know I made a lot of mistakes… and I don’t deserve your forgiveness…”, he adds, this time quieter than before. “… but I just want you to understand the reason behind my actions”.

He stays silent after this for a while, patiently waiting for her reply.

Betty’s head keeps spinning in circles while his words finally sink through and she finally gets the answer to all her questions after four long years. When she finally speaks, her voice is quiet but strong. “Why didn’t you tell me about your feelings back then… I mean, why did you just leave. You could have talked to me about everything… you could have explained it. And maybe…”.

Her eyes fall to the desk in front of her. “… maybe we would have found a way to make things work better.”

_Why did you just leave? Why didn’t you tell me? I would have stopped you from leaving._

“I guess I knew that you would have convinced me to stay when I would have talked to you”, Archie confesses honestly. “I had to draw a clear line… that wouldn’t have been possible any other way”.

She hates that his words make sense.

Silence follows while she searches for the right words to say, her green eyes drawn to the milkshake in front of her. “I hated you back then”, she quietly confessed, closing her eyes while she can feel the emotions rising back up inside her. “When you left me there… I hated you for it”.

“I know”, he replies and after a short break he softly adds. “… I hated myself too”.

His honest words force her to open her eyes and she looks at him in a much more relaxed way than before.

He actually means what he is saying. He is sorry.

“I know that you have every right to be mad at me. Hating me until the day I die would be totally justified as well… and I’m glad you yelled at me in my garage. I guess I needed to hear this”.

She winces at the memory of the moment in his garage earlier that day. “You deserved it”.

“I did”.

Another long moment filled with silence.

“What do you think?”, Archie finally asks in a careful way, obviously noticing the stressed emotions on her face.

“I don’t know…”, is her honest answer. “You kind of overrun me with all these information”.

“Fair enough”.

She keeps looking at the man in front of her and for the very first time in many years, she can see the Archie she used to know right under his new shell. It’s overwhelming to sit here and hear him explain his thoughts about their break-up, but it’s surprisingly calming to listen to his steady voice.

“Do you think you can forgive me…”, Archie asks quietly, and Betty knows by the way his eyes linger on her face that he is as nervous as he looks. “… not now, I mean. But someday, maybe”, he adds.

Jane’s words from their phone call before appear in Betty’s mind in this moment. _„Do you want to smooth things over? Or do you want to send him to hell?“_

Betty keeps her eyes on Archie’s face while she thinks about an answer to that. There are still a lot of old emotions, pain, hurt and sadness inside her… and even though all of these memories have been brought up within the last few days, she wants to draw a line between the past and the present.

_And just like that, her answer seems to ring inside her ears. Sometimes letting go is easier than holding on._

Instead of answering and without really thinking too much about it, Betty reaches out and grabs the vanilla milkshake he ordered her before. The glass is cold against her skin when she pulls the shake towards her in a slow movement, a gesture filled with a symbolic answer.

In the way she takes a sip from the cooling liquid lies her answer, an unspoken, silent but unambiguous “ _maybe_ ”.

When she looks up to him again, she can read in the small but unmistakable smile on the corner of his mouth, that he understands her quiet way of answering his question.

Before either of them can say anything else, Betty’s phone is vibrating beside her on the table and she takes a short look at the display, reading Evan’s message out of the corner of her eyes.

_“Is everything going good?” – E **van Campbell, 4:52 pm**_

She tears her eyes away from her phone and looks back at Archie, but he is already starring at the clock on the wall behind her.

“I think I should go”, he says with a crooked smile on his face, his voice sounding much weaker than before. “I have a car to fix”.

When he stands up she looks up to him, making a decision she probably shouldn’t make… but somehow it feels like the right thing to do. “I’ll help you”.

Surprise is written in his eyes when he looks back down to her. “Betty, you really don’t have to do this, I totally understand when you’re not feeling comfortable around me”.

“I’ll do it for Veronica”, she simply replies with a soft shoulder shrug. “I’m the bridesmaid. If they want me to fix that damn car, I’ll fix that damn car”.

A weird feeling grows inside Betty’s veins the moment an honest smile appears on Archie’s lips and she actually smiles back to him.

“But not… today”, she adds before he can reply anything to her words, and she turns her head to the clock on the wall. “I think it’s for the best when I go home now… but what about next Saturday?”

The shock and surprise are still lingering on his face when he answers. “Yeah, sure. Whatever you want”.

“Good”.

“Good”.

He keeps looking at her for a moment too long, probably wondering if she will change her mind if he keeps starring her down. But then he turns around, saying goodbye while he starts to walk away. “I’ll see you next week… same time, same place?”

“I’ll be there”.

He looks back at her last time, watching how she takes another sip from her vanilla shake and he turns back around before he keeps starring for too long.

The moment Archie leaves POPs, Betty grabs her phone and replies to Evan’s message with a soft smile on her lips. _“Everything is fine. I’ll be home in 10 minutes! xx”._

She takes her time to drink the whole milkshake while she can taste the taste of vanilla on her tongue, the conversation with Archie stuck in her mind the entire time.

_He broke up with me… to protect me?_

She could cry about his logic but somewhere deep down, she realizes what kind of sacrifice he made back in New York.

 _It hurt him too_ ; she realizes. And maybe this should make her feel better… but it does.

When she arrives at the Hotel a few minutes later, Evan is watching some television in their living room area. He smiles when she steps into the room while he mutes the sound of the TV. “Hey… how was it?”

“Surprisingly okay”, she replies while she is hanging her bag on to the clothes rack beside the door.

 _Tell him what happened;_ a voice inside her pleads. _He is your boyfriend… you would want to know it too, if it would be the other way around._

But Betty pushes that thought out of her mind before she walks over to the couch and sits down right next to Evan, giving him a short kiss with a soft smile on her lips. “I thought it would be a disaster… but we get along, I guess.”

“I’m happy for you”, Evan replies honestly. “I mean… your break-up was four years ago… it would be weird if you guys still couldn’t act normal around each other”.

He laughs quietly while she puts a frantic smile on her lips, praying to god that he doesn’t notice the emotions on her face.

“Yeah…”, she only says while she leans her head against his shoulder, hiding her expression from his eyes. “That would be really weird”.

**•••**

Betty and Evan visit Alice the next day.

It’s already afternoon when Evan parks his car in front of the house and him and Betty walk through the front yard, when suddenly the door of the Andrew’s house opens.

Of course. Betty can’t help but to roll her eyes. We’re visiting my mom and of course Archie is walking through his front yard in this specific time.

At first Betty pulls on Evan’s hand, guarding him to the front door of her old home, but her boyfriend is already seeing the neighbor over the small fence.

Archie looks a bit tired while he carries two packed bags to the street, his hair wild, his clothes looking wrinkled and old.

„Oh, hey“, is the first thing he says once he spots Betty and Evan in the garden beside him and his steps get slower with each word.

Betty doesn’t really know why she wanted to avoid a meeting between Evan and Archie. But here they are, starring at each other over a small, wooden fence while a cloud seems to cover the afternoon sun above their heads.

„Hey“, is Evan’s reply and she looks up to his face, noticing a thin smile on his lips.

For a moment, you could cut the awkwardness with a knife.

But then Betty turns her head back to Archie and she watches how he lays one of the bags inside his arms to the grass in front of his feet, before he starts to walk towards them, reaching Evan his hand over the small fence.

„It’s good to see you… I guess you remember me“. Archie’s words sound amused and genuine and hang in the air for a long moment until Evan is letting go off Betty’s hand, to return Archie’s handshake.

„Yeah… I remember that you have a pretty good punching skills“. Evan’s words may sound a bit teasing, but the sound of his voice tells Betty that he isn’t intending to be resentful about a night that lies over four years in the past.

Both guys laugh when they part again and Betty feels a bit overwhelmed in the middle of this reunion. The flashbacks of the night in New Haven return to her and she doesn’t quite understand how they went from that… to _this._

„I’m sorry about punching you in this club in New Haven“, Archie adds.

„Don’t worry, I’m not resentful“, Evan replies lightly.

 _Yeah;_ Betty thinks to herself. _But Evan… don’t act like you were a saint back then. You said some pretty bad things to Archie as well._

„The past is past“, Evan adds and suddenly his arm is around Betty’s shoulder and she smiles when he places a kiss to the side of her head. „That was four years ago… everything that happened back then isn’t important anymore“.

Betty’s eyes find Archie’s for a second and she wonders why there seems to be no real emotions on his face while Evan speaks.

„You’re right“, he only replies with a small smile. „Four years is a long time.“

Archie’s eyes linger on Betty’s face again but he turns back to the bags in his hands right after that.

Before any of them can say anything else, another car parks at the side of the street in front of the Jone’s house and they all turn around to see Alice get outside of her minivan. „Oh, Betty… can someone help me with the shopping bags in the trunk?“

_I'll help you, but please get me out of this weird situation._

But before Betty can take one step, Evan is already letting go of her hand. „I’ll help you Alice“. _There he goes again... the perfect boyfriend for the perfect mother._

She watches how Evan walks to Alice’s car and how he throws a smile at her before he grabs the bags and him and Betty’s mom make their way to the front door.

That gives her short moment to actually witness Archie’s reaction to all of it.

He smiles softly when she turns her head back to him. „You didn’t tell him about our fight“. His words aren’t a question… he just knows.

Betty shakes her head lightly. „No, I didn’t“.

It stays silent between them for a long moment, until Archie speaks again, the short question leaving his lips in a curious way. „... Why?“

She isn’t prepared for that question and she can tell that he can see that by the way he keeps looking at the shock on her face.

„I don’t know…“, she finally answers.

The sudden summer wind carries her words through the air while she searches for the right thing to say. „I guess… that’s a thing between you and me.“

And somehow, she doesn’t have to add anything else, because Archie seems to understand immediately. There is a short moment of understanding between them before he picks both bags up again, a small smile painted in the corner of his lips. „Alright… I’ll go back to work… you should probably go inside“. His dark eyes flicker to the opened front door behind her while he speaks. „He’s probably waiting for you“.

_Right…_

„I’ll see you on Saturday“, she replies quieter than before and she hates how a tiny part of her is actually happy about that.

He only nods, the weird little smile still on his lips, almost invisible but definitely there. „I’ll be waiting“.

She turns around in the exact moment he is doing the same, she turning to her house, he turning to the street, and she is walking through the front door without looking back, meeting Evan and her mom in the kitchen, joining their silly conversation about current, seasonal vegetables.

Evan gives her a short kiss when she enters the room. „Are you alright?“

„Yes“, she replies maybe a bit too fast, but she gives him a hug before he can see the hesitation in her green eyes.

_Yes, I’m alright. But maybe… I’m starting to wonder why I haven’t felt this alright in a long, long time._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't checked this chapter for spelling mistakes, so I'm truly sorry if there are mistakes in it!!  
> A big thank you for the reviews and kudos for the last chapter!!! ❤️ I'll answer them all tomorrow but I'm super tired and I'll pass out any second... 
> 
> I hope you liked this chapter... things will get a lot more interesting from this point on ;)  
> Writing Betty's POV from their fight in the garage was important to me, so I hope you can understand her better :)  
> I would LOVE to hear your thoughts and feelings!! 
> 
> Have a nice day! xx


	6. When We Were Young

****

**"You look like a movie**

**You sound like a song**

**My God this reminds me, of when we were young."**

Archie tries not to think about the meeting with Evan and Betty in his front yard too much. And it’s pretty easy to get distracted when you’re living with three of your best friends under one roof and every single minute someone else is either laughing, joking around or humming some new melody for the Vortex performances next week.

But as soon as the sun sets and Archie is alone in his old childhood room, his eyes closed while he is laying on his bed, he can’t help but frown about the fact that no matter how hard he tries it, the image of Betty and Evan won’t leave the depths of his mind.

_Damn it._

Around 1am he texts Laurie, asking if she’s still up and they end up talking on the phone for half an hour. She asks him about Vortex, he asks her about her job at the diner. It’s a bland conversation, but something about hearing a voice from his calm days back in Maryland is showing him the way to sleep.

When Sarah asks him the next morning what he thought about Evan, he tries his best to sound casual. „I like him“.

She rolls her eyes while she turns to her filled cereal bowl, her thin eyebrows raised. „Sure you do“.

„I really do, Sarah“.

„Mhm… hey Luke, Archie here says he likes Betty’s new boyfriend“. She turns around to the blonde guy who is walking through the doorway, his hair still messed up in every possible direction from his sleep.

„Oh, leave me out of this conversation…“. He grabs his own bowl, sitting down between them at the small kitchen table. „… no matter what I say… Archie here doesn’t give a single fuck about my opinion“.

Archie only rolls his eyes at the both of them. „Evan is…“. He tries to find the fitting words for this situation. „… good for Betty.“

His friends only look at him with a bit of irritation and amusement on their faces, silently laughing over his words.

Two days later, they have their first official performance at the Lodge-Hotel.

They’re all wearing white shirts with black trousers, just like Veronica ordered them to and are standing on the stage as soon as the raven-haired girl announces their debut at 6pm.

There aren’t many people there and most of them aren’t even really paying attention to what they are playing in the background to their conversations, but Archie still enjoys every single second on stage.

It’s great to finally have an audience again and he can see on the look on Sarah and Jerry’s faces that this is the best thing they can do during their summer break. One last hurrah before they go off into different directions.

They mostly perform Sarah’s songs and a few covers, Luke sitting in the front row as usual, taking some pictures of them here and there, doing grimaces that put a smile an Archie’s face.

Reggie calls them to the bar right after the gig and they stay for a few rounds of beer and cocktails once again, celebrating their first real performance since the nights they played in the Middleton Tavern.

„I’m not gonna lie…“, Sarah says on their way home while they are all sitting in Jerry’s car. „… I kind of like this town“.

A ironic laugh escapes Archie’s mouth. „Yeah? Wait until some new, creepy mystery crawls out of this damn fog… Riverdale might seem pretty but it’s actually a haunted place“.

„Jesus… you sound like a psychopath, Andrews“, Luke replies from the backseat. „And by the way… don’t tell me there aren’t good things here that balance all the evil out“.

Archie stares out into the night after Luke’s words, drifting off into his own memories of serial killers and gargoyle kings. But Luke is right… there are a lot of good things that seem to fight these horror in a constant battle. Memories like evenings at POPs for example… or the faces of Archie’s old high school friends. And maybe… just maybe the smile of a pretty, blonde girl from the window next door.

He turns on the radio to wash his memories away and the small group of friends starts to sing some old Journey song through the rainy summer night.

The next Saturday, Archie isn’t as nervous as he was before Betty’s arrival last weekend. But that doesn’t stop him from doing his daily morning run through the neighborhood which seems to be one of the few things that help him to sort his thoughts and clear his mind for a few seconds.

Being back in Riverdale feels strange… but somehow it feels like a homecoming as well.

And watching Luke, Sarah and Jerry fight over the last few cornflakes in his old kitchen is something that puts a warm smile on his face while he realizes that he somehow managed to put together the people that felt like home for the last five years and the town that felt like home for all his life.

Archie steps into the garage a few minutes before Betty arrives and he can’t help but to hold in for a second while his eyes wander over the old car in front of him.

The fight with Betty last week is still buried in the depths of his mind and even though they now seem to be on better therms than before, he still can’t completely ignore the feeling of guilt in his whole body in moments like this.

It’s exactly 3pm when the blonde girl next door arrives and he can’t help but smile when he hears her closing the door of her car in front of the house.

„Hey“. Her voice sounds a bit breathless when she steps into the room and he turns away from the car to meet her light smile, his eyes wandering over her casual denim shorts and her yellow shirt. _Somehow, she manages to look like the sun and all the warmth and light it brings._

„Hi“. Forgotten are the memories of their last fight that kept playing inside his head the last few minutes and he turns his face to the car again. „I hope you brought a good amount of patience with you… this will take some time“.

„Oh, don’t worry“. He can hear her quite laugh the moment she throws her bag to the floor. „Patience is practically my middle name“. 

Archie can’t really tell what exactly it is, that causes the sudden relaxation in the whole room when they both begin to turn to the car, reaching for wires, talking about some spare parts or the best kind of new lacquer they will have to use. But he knows that telling Betty the truth about his motivation and thoughts about their break up in New York, lifted some weight off of his shoulders and he is finally able to talk in a normal tone to her again.

It’s funny how Betty seems to be much more polite to him than she was before. They don’t talk very much in the first few minutes, but the conversations about the car in front of them is natural and not forced at all… and Archie is more than glad about that.

Twenty minutes pass by until they realize that they need more spare parts for the reparation.

„I’m sorry“, Archie says while he throws some old prefabricated part to the floor beside his feet. „I should have thought about that. There was enough time for me to buy some new parts… I should have picked them up last week… I mean I already knew that we would need some new spare parts“.

„It’s not your fault“, Betty kindly responses and he can’t help but to look at her relaxed face while she reaches for her bag beside the door. „I said I want to help you with the car… so I’ll go with you“.

„You want to go to the hardware store?“ He can’t help but to sound a bit caught off guard.

„Why not“. She shrugs with her shoulders, her eyes laying on the broken car behind them. „We need them… so we’ll go and get them“.

„Okay“, is his delighted answer as he reaches for his keys on the sideboard to his right. „I’ll drive“.

They take his old car while Archie tries to ignore the weird feeling of having Betty sit down beside him on the passenger seat, her fingers already playing on the buttons of the radio between them.

Old country music is playing while he starts the engine and they make their way to the local hardware store. They talk about the nice weather during the three minute drive and even though the topic is casual and dry, Archie doesn’t mind the more relaxed situation compared to the weekend before.

They put a lot of new electric wires and a new cooling water system in their shopping cart and they search for a car battery for over 30 minutes until Archie finally asks an employee for help.

„Oh, we don’t have have any batteries here“, the old man response. „You’ll have to drive to our branch office to get one“.

 _Great._ Archie turns his face to Betty, meeting her optimistic expression. „We have enough time… let’s drive there“, she only says and he nods while he turns back to the employee.

„Okay… can you give me the address?“

The man writes the details on a small card and hands it over to Archie before they leave the place.

When they get back to the car, the sun is burning on their heads and the steering wheel is hot under Archie’s fingers while they leave the parking lot.

„Don’t make that face“, Betty suddenly says beside him and he turns his head to her once they’re on the main street. There is a soft smile on her cherry-lips and something that seems to tell him that he should be acting more like her right now. „It’s not the end of the world just because we have to drive a few miles“.

„I’m sorry… if I had knows that this would be so time consuming, I would have done this on my own“, he explains while shrugging with his shoulders. „You probably have better things to do on a sunny day like this than to sit with me in a 200 degree hot car“.

„Don’t worry about that“, she simply replies. „This way I get to see some nature.“ Her fingers find the old window crank while she slowly opens the window and the summer wind whirls her hair around her shoulders. „And Evan isn’t home anyway… he has to work on Saturdays from time to time“.

And just like that her boyfriend is a topic of their conversation again but Archie stays surprisingly calm while his eyes are stuck on the empty road in front of them.

„Well… that doesn’t sound that good“, is all he can really say to that.

„Yeah, I know… the office he has to work in isn’t the greatest as well. He has to do a lot of overtime hours. I met his boss once and he seems to be an idiot“. In the corner of his eyes he can see Betty shaking her head. „It’s not the ideal job… and I know that this isn’t what he expected to do after Yale“.

It stays silent between them for a moment while Archie is surprised that Betty tells him some personal details like this just like that. But to be fair… the Betty who is sitting beside him isn’t quite the girl he used to know.

His eyes are still fixed on the road while he replies. „I guess… sometimes things don’t turn out the way you thought they would“.

He can’t look at her for her reaction but he can feel her eyes on him for a short moment. „That’s true“.

Before the silence between them can get longer he turns to the radio just like she did a couple of minutes ago and he turns on some old country song that echos through the small car.

Betty’s quiet laughter reaches his ears and he turns to her amused face with a light smile on his lips. „What?“

She simply shakes her head while turning her face out of her window. „Nothing… just keep driving“.

He keeps looking at her for a long moment, watches how her hair flies through the wind and the sun reflects on the top fo her head. „Alright Ma’am“, is his quiet answer when he tears his eyes away from her.

It takes them 15 minutes to get to the hardware store which is a pretty long time when all all the streets are empty and you don’t get into heavy traffic.

This shop is a lot bigger than the one in Riverdale and they have to search several minutes until they find the right shelf with the car spare parts. Archie ends up asking an employee for help by showing him the kind of car model they are working with and they buy a new engine, a new battery and liquefied gas calculator. They share the costs after a short argument where Archie tries to convince her that he is the one who should buy everything with his own money until she gives him her best evil-look and he finally gives in with a small smile in the corner of his mouth, mumbling a quiet _„damn… alright, we’ll share the costs“._

When they get back to the parking lot the sun is hidden behind grey clouds.

„It will rain today“, Betty says while they put the purchases into the luggage space. „I checked the weather news yesterday“.

„What person actually checks the weather news?“ Archie rolls his eyes when they get back into the car. „It’s the middle of June… the clouds will pass by any minute… you’ll see“.

But the clouds stay.

And about five minutes later when they are back on the country road, the sky above them turns dark and heavy rain falls down on the ground like a waterfall.

Archie can basically feel the smudge smile on Betty’s lips. „Told you so“.

The wind is roaring outside the car while the windshield wipers nearly collapse under the weight of the water on the front window. And somehow, the light seems to disappear while the darkness and the rain make it almost impossible to see something.

Betty seems to think the same as Archie. „Maybe you should park the car“.

„I’m already at it“.

He tries his best to find a good spot to park the car beside the street but he can clearly feel the mud and bumpy ground underneath the wheels when they leave the street and the car stops on the field right beside it.

And in the exact moment Archie turns off the engine, the radio goes silent as well and the only thing he can hear is the quiet laughter from the girl beside him. „That went well“.

„Yeah…“. He can’t help but to join her silent laughter for a moment while the wind outside seems to pull on the car from every possible direction. „What a crap weather“.

They both stare out of the front window for several minutes while the wind and the rain are the only sounds around them. It’s crazy how dark the weather got within a couple of minutes and Archie damns the weather with silent curses.

He tries his best to keep his eyes away from Betty right beside him because even though they talked about their past for a short moment, he knows that they are still some kind of strangers to each other. The truth is, he doesn’t know her very well and she doesn’t know him anymore. There are four years standing between them that are whispering in his ear, constantly reminding him that he isn’t allowed to overstep the invisible line he drew between him and the girl next door.

He is so lost in his thoughts for a moment, that Betty’s sudden words almost surprise him. „Do you remember that one time your dad allowed us to camp in your garden?“

Archie turns his head in her direction, watches her looking out to the rain through the tarnished glass. „I remember“, he admits slowly. „My god, how old were we back then? Eight? Nine?“

„Eight“. A soft smile appears on her lips but she keeps starring through the window in front of her. „We asked our parents over and over again until your dad talked with my mom and they finally gave in. So your dad bought us a tent and we spent the whole day trying to build it up in your backyard, remember?“

„Yeah…“. Her words take him back several years, back to a time when the world was still a good place. „We brought our flashlights and everything“. And then he remembers a part of that night that Betty probably reminded of this memory in the first place. „And around midnight… it started to rain“.

„Exactly“. The smile on her lips gets bigger. „It rained so bad that I thought the tent would break“.

„We debated if we should cancel everything and run back to the house“, he adds amused.

„But we stayed“, she replies with pride in her voice. „We stayed all night, buried in our sleeping bags, talking about old read-along books and our favorite superheroes. And when we got up the next morning your dad was so proud of us“.

„He was“.

That’s the first time Betty turns her face to him and he can directly look at the soft smile on her lips. „I know this is an old memory… but this rain reminded me of it“.

„I like old memories“, he replies. „The world seemed so much brighter back then“.

Archie has the habit of talking without really thinking about it and he can see on the distant look on Betty’s face that he might sound too wistful for a moment. „I don’t mean that like-“

„I know what you mean“, she interrupts him softly. „Everything felt much simpler when we were children“.

She turns back to the window with a quiet sight. „I miss the times when I was just Elizabeth Cooper… nothing more. No student, no FBI agent. Just me“.

„You want to be called Elizabeth again?“ He shouldn’t sound this amused but he can’t help it.

„No!“ Slight panic seems to rise in her voice. „Please, don’t… and I know you never liked this name anyway. After all, it was you that turned it into Betty“.

„Can you blame me? Elizabeth was a lot harder to say for a five year old boy“.

She just shakes her head with a wide smile on her face while she looks out to the rain.

It stays silent for a long moment until Archie leans back in his seat, crossing his arms in front of his chest. „So… you want to speak about why you want to be a child again?“

Irritation mirrors in her eyes when she turns around to him. „I don’t want to be a child“.

„Yeah, I know. But a minute ago you said you want to go back to the person you were back then. So why don’t you tell me about it. I know I’m not your favorite person right now… and I know that I kind of lost the right to know stuff like that about you“. He turns his eyes to the storm outside. „But we’re stuck in here for a little while… and I would love to get to know you again, Betty. Even if it’s just for a little bit“.

He waits for her answer while the only sounds around them are caused by the heavy rain falling on the metal roof above their heads while he silently prays that he didn’t just overstep the line between them like a total jerk.

But then, finally, she leans back against her own seat and starts to speak, her voice so clear that he wonders when the last time was he ever heard her speak to him in private.

„I graduated at Yale a year ago… I did good at my final exams. But I never had a real plan for the future. I talked to Charles during Mom’s and FP’s wedding last year and he offered me a place at the training program at the FBI station here in Riverdale. I’m happy there and I absolutely love my job… but do you remember when I said that I was done solving mysteries? That was during our last year in-“

„In High School“, he replies. „I remember“.

„Well, now I’m solving mysteries again… and I don’t really know how I ended up there. I love my work and I love my colleagues… but what happened to the girl that I used to be? I remember a time when I thought that I would never want to hear about a murder ever again. And now it’s part of my daily routine“.

„People change“, he answers after a short moment of silence. „People change all the time… I guess there are things you never wanted that now seem to be the perfect thing for you and there are things you thought you would want but that aren’t relevant to you anymore. Just because you said you don’t want to do FBI work anymore five long years ago, doesn’t mean that you still have to follow that plan. You were 18 back then Betty… now you’re almost 24“.

She turns her head back to him while he speaks and he is surprised that he is actually able to calm her down a bit. „And by the way… nothing is carved in stone, you know? When you realize that you don’t want to do your job anymore… just quit. Find something else that you like. Nothing is meant to last forever either way.“

And before she can reply anything to that, he adds. „You’re Elizabeth-“

„… stop with that name…“.

„… Cooper“. He laughs while she shakes her head. „You can do anything that you want“.

She seems to think about a fitting answer for a while, her eyes following the raindrops that make their way down the glass. „You know what… that was very sweet of you to say that“.

„Well, I’m trying my best“, he adds to keep the playful conversation going, even though he knows that she is deadly serious about it.

It’s not very usual for them to joke around like this but he tries to enjoy every single second of it. This is the first time in four years that he gets so see a glimpse of his old best friend right beside him and there have been times in his life where he expected to never even see Betty again.

„Tell me about your life“, Betty suddenly says beside him and he looks at her to meet her pleading eyes. „You’re still in the Navy, right?“

He takes a deep breath before he answers, stretching out his legs with a small smile on his lips. „Yes, I’m still in the Navy. I ended my training program last month… the final exams and training sessions were one hell of a ride“. He winces a bit when he thinks back to the endless hours of exercises he endured with Luke by his side and he is more than glad that they finally passed those tests. „Right now is my last big break before the mandatory service I’ll have to start in September“.

Betty nods to his words and he can tell by the expression on her face that she is actually very interested in what he’s saying. „And this mandatory time… do you know where exactly you will have to go there?“

„No… I have no idea. Could be anywhere. We’ll get the information in August“.

The blonde woman stays silent for a long moment and he dares to take a look at her while she stares out of the window to her right. „You’re in a band now“, she finally speaks again, turning her face back to him.

„Yeah. Sarah and Jerry wanted me to join Vortex a few years ago“.

„You guys sound good“.

He can’t hide the smile on his face. „Thank you“.

Betty leans her head against the seat once again, her eyes drifting off into the distance. „I remember the night I saw you guys singing in Maryland. It’s nothing compared to your rehearsal last week.“

And after a short break, she adds: „The songs your were singing last week… did you write them?“

Her question catches him a bit off guard and he realizes pretty soon that she hit a nerve he tried to hide. „No. They are all Sarah’s songs.“

„You don’t write lyric anymore?“

„Not really… I mean I’m trying it from time to time… but I’m kind of staying on the singer-side right now“, he confesses slowly.

There is a question lingering in the expression on her face and he knows what she wants to ask.

_I don’t know Betty… I stopped writing songs the minute I left Riverdale… or the minute I left you._

He shakes this thought out of his head because this isn’t the time nor the place to think about such things.

„What will happen to your band when you leave for the mandatory service in September?“, Betty asks after a few moments, her voice filled with curiosity.

He can’t help but to laugh quietly over her question. „I don’t know Betty… this is a question I don’t have a good answer for right now“.

The blonde woman starts to laugh as well with a smile on her face. „I’m sorry… I shouldn’t even ask you things like that…“.

„No, you should“, he immediately replies, clearing his throat at the same time. „I mean… I kind of owe it to you“.

For a long moment no-one speaks a word and he can feel her eyes on him while he keeps staring out to the grey sky. When Betty speaks, her voice is a bit quieter than before. „You don’t have to try to make up for the last few years, you know?“

When he answers he turns his face in her direction, meeting her green eyes in the shadows of the car, his voice filled with honesty. „I know… but I will try it nevertheless“.

And something about the look in her eyes reminds him of the days when they were still younger and they argued about some school project they had to do in third grade. Betty wanted to make the project special and perfect and Archie on the other side wanted to do the bare minimum and spent the rest of the day with playing games in the garden. They ended up fighting and Betty left without saying a word. Archie felt bad about everything so he sat down and build the whole project on his own and when he was finished, he went up to his room, waiting until Betty showed up at her own bedroom window after a few minutes. The moment he showed her the finished project through the window glass, she gave him the same grateful look she is showing him in this very moment and Archie gets reminded how much Betty’s grace always meant to him. 

It’s the first time Archie actually has the chance to look at the green color of her eyes or the few freckles on her skin around her nose. She is still painting her lips in this soft, reddish color she always used to wear and for a moment she looks like the memory he tried to bury in his mind over the last few years.

But now she is here, just an arm length away from him, and he finally recognizes the small details that make her appear older than before. It’s the small earrings she is wearing, it’s her longer hair that is falling around her shoulders. Her skin looks more tanned than it used to be and he wonders if there are more sunny days in New York than in Riverdale. The soft smile on her lips is still the same and the curious expression on her pretty face as well.

_Betty is still Betty._

Archie hates how much he had missed her. And he hates that there are still so many lines and boundaries between them.

But he loves that with every word he is saying to her, he is slowly fighting the demons of his past.

The moment Betty speaks again, she pulls him back to reality. „It stopped raining!“

He follows her eyes and stares outside. The sky is still grey but there aren’t any teardrops falling down anymore.

„Alright… time to go home“. Archie takes the keys and turns them around, starting the engine with a small movement.

The car starts but the moment he steps on the accelerator, a loud howling noise comes from the wheels underneath them. He tries it again, but he can see the mud splashing around with a short look through the side mirror.

„Fuck“. He can’t help but to curse while he tries it once again, but the car isn’t moving at all.

„Are we… stuck?“ He can clearly hear the amusement in Betty’s voice.

„Seems like it“.

Archie starts the car one more time but nothing really changes. „Great…“. He opens his seat belt and jumps out of the car, his feet landing in ankle-high mud.

His shoes sink into the muddy ground while he makes his way around the car. The moment he sees that all four wheels are nearly buried in the mud, he can’t help but to let out a frustrated groan.

When he hears the car door on Betty’s side opening, he shouts: „The wheels are stuck in the ground… we have to push the car back onto the street“.

„Okay… let me help you.“

He walks around the back of the car just in time to watch Betty jump out of it with way too much swing. „Be careful, the ground is slippy…“.

But his warning comes a bit too late because as soon as Betty’s sneakers touch the muddy ground her feet slide to the side and she falls to her knees with a loud shriek.

He holds in for a moment, watching how her naked legs as well as her hands get buried in mud… and the moment she looks up to him with a shocked smile on her lips and shine in her eyes he bursts out laughing like he hasn’t done in years.

„Don’t just stand there… help me!“

The laugh that is coming over his lips is the loudest he ever had while he slowly walks towards the girl that trying everything in her power to stand up again. „I told you the ground is slippy…“.

„Well, you could have told me a _tiiiiny_ bit earlier“, she hisses back but the look on her face tells him that she is just as amused as he is.

„Come here“. He reaches her his hand and laughs a bit more when she grabs it with both hands and the mud is spreading all over his arm.

He should feel sorry for Betty. He really should. And maybe he should stop laughing at one point.

But starring at her while a huge part of her is covered in brown mud is just too hilarious to shut up about it.

„You know… malicious joy is a beast“, Betty mumbles while he pulls her up.

„Yeah? And why?“

„Because karma is her little sister… and she lingers right behind the next corner“. And with that, she reaches up and smears the mud that was sticking on her hand right on the side of his face, tracing down his whole cheek until the side of his face is covered in dirt.

The smile on her face is marvelous when the mud drips down on his white shirt and even though the sky is still covered with dark clouds… the look on Betty’s face seems to bring the light back second by second.

„I deserved this“, he simply mumbles while she laughs over his reaction.

„You did“.

A part of him wants to stand there and look at he sight of a mud-covered Betty Cooper a few minutes longer… but the sun is already setting behind the dark clouds above them and they need to go home before it get’s too dark. „Common… let's try to bring this thing back on the road“.

For the next ten minutes they try everything in their power to move his car back up to the street.

After five minutes, the wheels seem to sink even a little bit deeper into the ground.

After 10 minutes, Archie’s shoes slip away and he ends up falling on the ground as well.

After another 5 minutes of a laughing Betty Cooper beside him and the taste of mud between his teeth, he decides to call someone for help.

„Luke, you need to pick us up… I don’t know where exactly… somewhere around Greendale… I’ll send you the location… thank you“.

When he stuffs his phone back into his pocket he turns to Betty who is leaning against the engine hood of the car. „Luke will pick us up?“

„Yes“.

„Does he know that we’re covered in mud?“

„One problem at the time, Betty“.

She smiles over his answer and crosses her arms in front of her chest, closing her eyes in a tired way.

„You can sit down it you want“, he offers.

She opens her eyes again. „Like this? In your car?“

„No way“. He walks up to her and jumps up onto the hood of the car in an easy-looking way. „But this will be fine“.

So, he reaches her a hand and after a long moment of hesitation from Betty’s side, she finally takes it and is letting him pull her up on the bonnet of the car. „No-one will believe me what happened here“, she mumbles when she sits down beside him. „Stuck in a storm… fell into mud… sat on a car“.

„Sounds like a crazy Saturday“, he replies while his eyes are fixed on the country road between them.

„Crazy… but funny“, she adds quietly while it seems to get darker with every second that goes by.

„As long as funny is a good thing“.

„Funny is always a good thing“.

He rolls her eyes at her answer because he damn well remembers a time where Betty thought that every kind of joke is just silly and dumb.

But the more he thinks about it, the more he realizes that the woman may be the same in a lot of ways… but she also changed in some terms.

When Archie closes his eyes and listens to her voice, he could swear that her words sound like a song every time she speaks.

And when he looks at her the image in front of his eyes mirrors their memories like an old movie he never really dares to watch anymore.

Sitting here right beside Betty Cooper covered in mud on the bonnet of his car with nothing more than the darkness of the night around him takes him back to the nights they stayed up to watch the fireflies in his garden when they were seven.

_My god this reminds me of when we were young._

Everything about her seems to bring him back into his old memories today, even though he tries his best to stay in reality most of the time.

But somehow reality isn’t the best option as well right now.

Because in reality, he tries his best to focus on the empty street beside them, waiting for Luke’s car to finally appear on the horizon.

In reality, he doesn’t want to stare at the way the mud on Betty’s bare legs and on her clothes is somehow making her look a lot more attractive than she should be.

In reality, he can feel her presence right beside him much more than he wants to admit, even though the bare skin of her legs is almost touching his own and their shoulders are bumping against each other from time to time.

In reality… Archie just wants to enjoy the time he has with Betty, even though he is constantly trying to stay on his side of the invisible line.

The moment he returns to the present, Betty is pulling her phone out of her shorts, the light of the screen shining through the dusk. „I’ll better tell Evan that I will be home a bit later than planned“.

The first few stars appear on the side of the sky where the clouds are slowly fading away and Archie is giving everything to concentrate on the view above him. „Do that… he shouldn’t be worried about you“.

Betty stays silent for a long while, even though her phone disappears into her pocket after a few seconds.

Betty’s curious voice breaks the silence after solid five minutes. „Do you have a girlfriend?“

Her question hits him harder than his fall on the ground a few minutes before and she seems to notice it right away. „I’m sorry… I was just curious. I… I don’t know, I told you about Evan and…“. She seems to be unsure and maybe a bit embarrassed by her question.

„It’s alright“, he assures her with a soft smile, even though he has no idea how he should answer this question. „I have… someone“. He laughs over his own choice of words. „Her name is Laurie. She is a waitress in Annapolis. I like her a lot.“

„That’s great“. Her answer comes a bit fast but when Archie turns his face to the blonde girl beside him he can see a small smile in the corner of her mouth. „I’m glad you’re happy“.

For a moment he can see the stars above them shine in her eyes and her presence beside him gets much more real than the moments before.

He wants to say something to that.

_I’m happy that you’re happy too, Betty._

_I’m not as happy as you might think I am._

_And all above, I haven’t been really happy for a long, long time._

Be Betty turns her face away from his before he can even open his mouth and the second he follows her eyes, he can see two lights appearing on the end of the road beside them.

„I guess that’s Luke“, he mumbles. _Was about time._

„Hey“, the blonde guy greets them when he parks his car on the other side of the street. Once he is close enough to see the mud on their clothes, his eyes seem to widen in the car lights behind him. „Ohhh, hell no. You won’t get in my car looking like this“.

„Relax Luke… I have a blanket where we can sit on“.

„Oh I hope you’re telling the truth“.

For the next five minutes they carry their purchases from the hardware store from Archie’s car to Luke’s while Archie tells him bout everything that happened that day.

Archie and Betty need to sit down on the old blanket on the backseat while Luke drives them back to Riverdale.

Luke and Archie talk a bit during the car ride, but Betty stays a bit silent for most of the time, her green eyes starring through the window beside her.

When they finally reach Archie’s house and get out of Luke’s car, Archie turns to Betty while she searches for her keys in the bag around her shoulders.

„I’m sorry again for today“, he says through the dark, but he can see the smile on her lips when she finally finds the keys and looks back up to him.

„Don’t be sorry… I had a lot of fun“. The honesty in her words puts a real smile on his face and for a short moment, he actually feels the urge to step forward and hug her goodbye.

But they aren’t the people they used to be and a simple move like that could transform into a bomb that would destroy the progress they made during the last few days.

So he only stands there in an awkward way, waiting for her to say something else. When she speaks again, her voice is quieter than before. „I’m gonna go now… call me when you’re working on the car again, okay?“

„I will“.

The moment she turns to her own car, he adds. „Wait… is your phone number still the same?“

She holds in for a second before she opens the door. „Yes, it’s still the same“.

_Four years later… and she never changed her phone number._

„What about you? Is your number still the same?“ She holds while she throws her bag to the passenger seat, her eyes still fixed on his face.

„Yeah… still the same“, he confesses.

_Some things never change._

„Perfect“. She throws one last look at him before she gets inside the car. „Goodnight Archie“.

„Goodnight… _Elizabeth_ “.

Judging the emotions on her face in that moment tells him that she can hear his last words but he simply waves at her when she drives off in her car, his dumb smile hidden in the shadows of the night.

When he turns around and walks back to the house, Luke is waiting for him at the front door. „What the hell was that?“, the blonde guy says in a calm but judging tone.

„What the hell was what?“

„Oh common… you and her covered in mud? You calling her Elizabeth?“ Luke rolls his eyes in an overdramatic way. „You were flirting with her!“

„I wasn’t flirting with her“. Archie tries his best to sound as casual as possible while he opens the front door and Luke follows him into the small hallway.

„We both know I’m right, Andrews“. Luke follows Archie to the kitchen while he gets himself a glass of water. „I mean I get it, she’s hot and everything… but you’re forgetting that she is in a serious relationship! She has a boyfriend!“

„Don’t you think I know that?“, Archie replies in a calm tone, even though a bit anger is rising in his chest. „And I’m happy for Betty… I really am. So no Luke, I wasn’t flirting with her“.

„Alright…“. Luke leans against the door frame while he stares at Archie for a long moment. „But don’t tell me you’re not attracted to her“.

Silence follows while they both just stare at each other, the undeniable truth painted on Archie’s face. „What do you want me to say, Luke?“

„Nothing… I just want you to be careful.“, the blonde guy answers honestly. „We’re leaving in September… don’t forget that“.

_Like I could forget that._

„Hey, what’s going on?“ Before either of them can say anything else Sarah is walking into the kitchen, her hair tugged into a messy bun and she is wearing the same pajamas she has been wearing for the last couple of days.

The moment she sees the mud on Archie’s body, she bursts out into laughter. „Dear lord, what happened to you?“

He puts the glass of water down while he walks past her and Luke. „Call it a combination of the weather and the force of gravity… I’ll go and take a shower“.

The laughter of Sarah is echoing up into the bathroom but as soon as Archie is standing under the cold water, his mind is finally free from the conversation he had with Luke down in the kitchen.

_I’m not flirting with her. I’m just acting like I always have around her. It’s always been that way between us. That’s just normal… right?_

He closes his eyes while the water runs over his whole body, wiping away the traces of the day. But no matter how long he keeps standing in the shower, the image of Betty won’t leave his mind.

It’s like she is still there right beside him. He can see her smile, he can feel the electricity caused from her body heat, he can smell the scent of her vanilla shampoo.

He would love to rip Betty out of his head… but he slowly starts to realize that as long as he stays here in Riverdale and as long as he keeps seeing her here… he won’t be able to ignore the haunting images of her in his head.

Archie knows that the relationship between him and Betty has always been a special one. They were never that normal best-friends-duo a lot of people saw in them. And today Archie realized that even when he gets the chance to speak to Betty like a normal friend… their relationship won’t turn into a normal one. They will always be the two kids who were locking at each other through their bedroom windows.

_Maybe Luke is right… maybe I should be more careful._

He takes a deep breath while the water runs over his closed eyes.

_Relax… it’s just Betty._

It takes him several minutes until the image of the blonde woman is finally leaving his mind.

He calls Laurie before he goes to sleep, concentration on her calming voice over the phone, listening to her stories from her work today.

When Archie finally drifts off into sleep long after midnight, he falls into a darkness without any dreams and most importantly without Betty on his mind.

And when he wakes up the next morning he knows for sure that he will be able to keep his distance from the girl next door… even though it’s the exact opposite from the things he would die for in secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU!!! ❤️  
> I hope you have a great time with your family/ your friends or even your pets! 
> 
> And a huge thank you to the people who left a comment on the latest chapter - you guys put the biggest smile on my face!!  
> I really hope you liked this new chapter 😊 As usual, I would like to hear your thoughts on it!!


	7. Past Life

**"I'm trying to be honest with my happiness**   
**Don't know why I'm bad at this,**   
**And I don't wanna sit in all my sadness**   
**I know it's a habit of mine.**

**Last night was the last night of my past life."**

Betty knows that she probably shouldn’t feel that happy while falling into mud.

And getting stuck in a thunderstorm should be scary, not comforting.

But she is honest enough to admit to herself that the hours she was forced to spent with Archie today brought her a tiny bit closer to the memories and their past she started to forget over the last for years.

She doesn’t care about the dirt on her skin, she doesn’t care about how the humidity is slowly turning her hair into a frizzy mess.

It’s feels natural to sit on Archie’s car and stare at the black sky above her, even though she can’t help but to wonder how they got in this situation after all.

This was supposed to be a short trip to get some new spare parts for the wedding car and not some survival evening. “No-one will believe me what happened here… stuck in a storm… fell into mud… sat on a car”.

Archie’s laugh is warm beside her and she can feel their keens touch over the cooling car hood. “Sounds like a crazy Saturday”.

“Crazy but funny”.

“As long as funny is a good thing”.

“Funny is always a good thing”. _It really is_ ; Betty adds in her mind. _I haven’t laughed this much for a long time._

She thinks about that realization for a long time while her eyes search the night sky for the first few stars that fight their way through the clouds. It’s quite around them while the world drowns in darkness and Betty can feel the silence entering her body while she slowly breaths in and out.

A part of her wants to say something but on the other hand she doesn’t want to interrupt this special moment of silence between them. Betty spent several years thinking that she wouldn’t see Archie ever again in her life… and a huge part of her even wanted that thought to become reality.

That was back when she didn’t know the real reason behind the break-up in New York… back when she wanted to rip Archie out of her mind forever.

It’s been some difficult years filled with falling in and out of love and Betty is tired of tearing herself away from things that somehow seem to bring her happiness.

And right now, she is happy.

She is feeling like the little girl she once used to be. Like the world is a big playground that is waiting for her to discover it. Maybe it’s the taste of fresh air in her lungs, the mud on her legs or the presence of the man right beside her… Betty doesn’t even care about the reason. She just knows that she is feeling calm in this moment and she wonders if that’s the reason Evan wanted her to join a yoga class during college. _He was right… peace feels great._

And that’s the moment she remembers her boyfriend. _Evan._

Within a second, she pulls her phone out of her shorts. “I’ll better tell Evan that I will be home a bit later than planned”.

Archie doesn’t say anything to that. _Well, what is he supposed to say either way;_ she admits silently.

And the next time she opens her mouth, a question that has been lingering on her tongue the entire day slips over her lips. “Do you have a girlfriend?”

She knows her words are a bit direct, so she adds. “I’m sorry… I was just curious. I… I don’t know, I told you about Evan and…”.

“It’s alright”. The soft smile on his lips underlines his words and after a beat of silence, he adds: “I have someone… her name is Laurie. She is a waitress in Annapolis. I like her a lot”.

“That’s great”. She speaks the words before she can even think about them because there is a slight fear inside her that she might react to soon or too slow or too direct or too disinterested at the same time. To hide the mess of emotions inside herself she puts a small smile in the corner of her mouth. “I’m glad you’re happy”.

She isn’t lying. Of course, she is happy that her old best childhood friend is having someone special in his life.

But on the other hand, Archie is also her ex-lover… and she can’t help but wonder who this new person by his side is.

Her green eyes meet Archie’s for a short moment and a second filled with different kind of emotions flickers between them before she tears her gaze away, finding some car lights appearing on the end of the street.

“I guess that’s Luke”.

Even though she was happy during their chaotic day, Betty is still relieved when Luke finally picks them up. Her question about Archie’s girlfriend created a weird silence between them and she hates how she can’t really get a word over her lips the entire car ride back home to Riverdale.

When they finally reach Archie’s house and she says goodbye to him, he apologizes once again. “I’m sorry again for today”.

She smiles back at him while she searches for her keys inside her bag. “Don’t be sorry… I had a lot of fun”. That’s only the truth.

Her clothes might look like she is returning from a war zone, but through the weird mixture of feelings inside her, happiness seems to be the most powerful emotion of them all.

To end the short silence between them, she speaks again while turning to her car. “I’m gonna go now… call me when you’re working on the car again, okay?”

“I will… Wait, is your phone number still the same?”

She holds in for a second before she opens the door. „Yes, it’s still the same… what about you? Is your number still the same?“ 

There is a small smile in the shadows on his face. “Yeah… still the same”.

_Four years… and you never changed your number._

“Perfect”, she brings over her lips. “Goodnight Archie”.

She is already in the car but she can clearly hear the “ _Goodnight Elizabeth_ ” through the window and she shows him a grimace before she leaves the parking spot.

_When did we get back to this playful joking around each other?_

She only shakes her head on her way back to the _Lodge-Hotel_.

An unrecognizable feeling is spreading in her body on her way up to her apartment and when she is about to open the door, she realizes what exactly it is. _Guilt._

Guilt because she got home way later as she thought she would be.

Guilt because she spent all day with someone else who isn’t her boyfriend.

Guilt because she actually had a lot of fun.

She takes a deep breath before opening the door and she spots Evan in the living room area, leaning over some documents.

“Hey, sorry I’m late”, is all she says before closing the door behind her. She tries her best to change the topic as quick as possible. “What are you reading? Work stuff again?”

“Sadly yes, I wasn’t able to finish everything there, so I had to…”. His words fade away the moment he turns his face in her direction, his eyes stuck on the dirt all over her legs. “Oh my god, what the hell happened?!”

“Ehm… we sort of… had some kind of accident”.

“An accident?!” The papers in Evan’s hands slide to the table while he stands up and walks over to her with wide eyes.

“No, no, no… not some real accident. There was this thunderstorm and we needed to stop the car on a field. And then we were stuck, and we fell in the mud and…”. She can’t hide the slightly amused laughter in the back of her throat. “But everything is fine. It’s just mud”.

For a moment there is a huge amount of relieve in Evan’s eyes but the longer he stays silent, the more Betty notices the way he keeps looking at her shorts and legs. “I though you two were fixing that car. Why were you driving through a storm?”

“We needed a new batterie and some spare parts”. Her answer is weak, but she is hiding it with a smile.

“And why on earth are you so late? It’s almost nine, Betty”. He seems worried but there is anger lingering underneath his shell.

She shifts from one leg to the other. “As I said, the car got stuck. Archie called a friend to pick us up”.

“Why didn’t you call me? I could have helped you.” His question is short but direct and she simply stares back up to him, her brows a bit furrowed.

“Evan…”.

But before she can say anything else he speaks again, his hands running over his face as he makes a grimace. “I’m sorry… I don’t know why I’m acting like this…”. He turns his head to the side. “I had so much work to do today… I guess that’s making me a bit tense.”

“Don’t be sorry, I understand… you’re just tired”.

“That’s no excuse to act this way”.

A warm smile appears on Betty’s lips as she takes a step closer to him. “Doesn’t matter anymore… I’m here now and I haven’t seen you all day.” She reaches out to kiss him but he backs away a small step, his eyes falling to the dirt on her clothes, a quite laugh escaping his mouth.

“I would love to kiss you… but please take a shower first. No offense Betty, but you look horrible”.

At first she believes he is making a joke but the moment she walks towards him he turns away once more and her mouth falls a bit open. “Okay… I’m gonna go and take a shower”.

“I love you”, he answers thankfully, and she turns around, the playful smile on her lips fading a little.

“I love you too…”.

**•••**

The next couple of days are hectic for Betty.

She gets two more cases at work and spends a few evenings talking to Charles about them, trying to get a clear head which isn’t as easy as it seems.

On Wednesday she meets Veronica at POPs and they talk about the wedding for hours, chatting about Veronica’s wedding dress and the flowers her and Reggie decided to buy for the decoration.

“Cheryl and Toni are coming back to Riverdale for the wedding”, the raven-haired girl says with a wide smile. “And they have some big news… at first I thought I’m not allowed to tell this anyone else, but Cheryl said it is okay”. Her eyes shine like diamonds while she leans a bit closer to the table. “Cheryl and Toni are having a baby!”

Betty freezes for a moment before she realizes the news Veronica just told her.

“Oh my… wow”, is all she can say before a wide grin appears on her face. “That’s amazing!”

“I know”, Veronica replies, mirroring Betty’s expression. “It’s just crazy you know… High School feels like yesterday… and now we’re all in our mid-twenties… I’m getting married, Toni and Cheryl are expecting a child… it’s a bit frightening how fast the time goes by”.

„That’s true…“. Betty stares at her milkshake for a moment while her thoughtsslowly drift away. There was a time where being an adult was the only goal for Betty. Her mother raised her to become a serious, elegant but foremost a _perfect_ lady. Now Betty is almost 24 and she isn’t quite sure if she accomplished any of the things she planned for her adult life.

Sure, she graduated at Yale. And yes, she is working in a very honorable job with great salary. She is in a relationship with a lovely and attractive man who is willing to do anything for her.

But somehow, Betty isn’t feeling like she expected she would feel in the position she is right now.

Her eyes move back up to Veronica who is starring at her phone, mumbling something about Reggie and his new dinner jacket and the blonde girl starts to wonder if she is looking as happy as the woman in front of her when she is speaking about her current life.

_I am happy;_ she thinks. _And I will get the same, wide smile on my face when I will marry Evan someday… right?_

She shakes her head a little bit to push that thought and the light feeling of nervousness out of her mind. Betty shouldn’t be thinking about something like that right now.

„So tell me“, she shows Veronica her best smile, leaning forward while she speaks. „What color will the bridesmaid-dresses be?“

„Oh, I’m glad you ask!“ There is so much joy and excitement in Veronica’s eyes when she starts to search for pictures on her phone. „I’ll show you both colors that I’m thinking about… either some peach color or lavender… Katie will be there in four weeks and she said the color doesn’t matter to her, but I think the lavender one will suit you two so good!“

And just like that the conversation is focused on the Lodge-Mantel wedding again and Betty get’s pulled into a world consisting out of chic dresses, flowers and expensive food.

**•••**

On Thursday Evan tells Betty that he won’t be working the upcoming Saturday.

„We could make a trip or something“, he suggests while they eat dinner in their hotel apartment. „But we don’t need to… I know you wanted to work on the car again“, he adds while he takes another bite off his steak, a hint of a strange expression painted on his face for the split of a second.

„No… we can make the trip“, Betty replies after a moment while she wears her best smile. She is happy to spent time with her boyfriend… even though she was looking forward to keep working on the car as well. „I’ll let Archie know that we have to skip a weekend“.

Evan smiles lightly as his hand finds hers on the small table. „Thank you“.

She texts Archie the same evening while Evan is taking a shower. It’s already after nine in the evening when she sits down on her side of the bed, opening the old chat history of her and Archie.

It takes a lot of courage to ignore the last message he send her, that is still lingering on her screen like a ghost she wanted to erase for a long time.

The last time they texted each other was in October 2021 and the last thing Archie send to her were the words: „ _New York, Baby… See you in five hours!“ -_ ** _Archie Andrews 12:18pm_** ****

It’s more than strange to read that message again for several reasons. The mention of New York takes Betty back to the most darkest time of her life and a part of her is wondering if Archie already knew the moment he was sending her this message, that he would break up with her within the next two days.

_Stop caring about such things;_ she warns herself. I _t doesn’t matter anymore, does it?_

So, she ignores the last message and starts to write a new one, the first words after four long years.

_„Hey, I won’t be able to help you with the car this Saturday… can we work on it next week?“ -_ **_Betty Cooper, 9:34pm_ **

Her eyes are fixed on the screen for five minutes while the sounds of the shower from the bathroom right beside her is reaching her ears.

It only takes a few minutes until she gets an answer.

_„No problem. We can work on it next week“ -_ **_Archie Andrews, 9:41pm_ **

_Of course he would react like that… Archie has been a lot of things during the past few years… but he was never impolite._

Betty knows she doesn’t have to answer to his words, but she is doing it anyway. _„Thank you! See u next week“ -_ ** _Betty Cooper, 9:42pm_**

It’s weird to see him immediately responding to her message and she doesn’t even notice the excited feeling in her chest when she watches the _„typing-symbol“_ on the screen in her hands.

_„See you next week… don’t forget to bring some rubber boots… just in case we’ll get stuck in mud again“ -_ **_Archie Andrews, 9:43pm_ **

A lighthearted smile breaks over her lips as she reads his message and her thoughts return to the day they spent in his car during the thunderstorm and they both ended up falling in the dirt.

For a second she wants to respond something to his message but she ends up putting her phone on the small bedside table the moment Evan returns from the bathroom, dressed in his pajama shorts.

„What are you smiling about?“, he asks amused while he rubs his wet hair with a white towel.

Her happy expression fades away in the exact moment she realizes that she is smiling about a silly text message. „Nothing… I’m just happy“.

„Just happy…“. He shakes his head with a light smile on his lips while he turns on the TV on the wall beside the bed. „Well then I’m happy that you’re happy“.

She closes her eyes when he pulls her to his chest in a soft movement and she breaths in the scent of his expensive shower products.

_Evan smells familiar and familiarity is something Betty longed for a long time._

**•••**

Betty and Evan drive out of the town on Saturday. The weather is warm for the end of May and the little lake they drive to isn’t crowded because the weather is still too cold to swim in it.

When they walk along the sidewalks and Evan takes her hand, Betty remembers what she loves about him.

Evan is simple. He is calm and prudent, he is uncomplicated.

He knows when she needs some time walking on the sun and he also knows when he needs to be silent when she is lost in her own thoughts.

All in all, Evan is just perfect.

Every time Betty feels like burning up in flames because of her work problems Evan is like the water that cools her down. Like her mother would say - they are a perfect match. They balance each other out.

When they sit down at a restaurant Evan tells her about his work and it’s the first time he is honest about his current problems there.

„I don’t think that this customer service office is the right thing for me“, he confesses while he orders them some Italian salad.

„Then quit“, Betty replies after a short moment. „Search for something that you like, Evan.“ She reaches for his hand over the small table, showing him a supportive smile. „You’re clever, Evan. You had the best final grade at Yale! You deserve a job you really like“.

Sadness mixed with a smile is appearing on his face. „I know…“.

A moment of silence goes by while Betty tries to read the hesitant expression in his eyes.

„But Betty… I’ve been thinking about the job opportunities here in Riverdale… and I’m not sure if there is something that is quite fitting for me“. The moment their eyes meet she understands why he is sounding so unsure. „I know what you might think… and I’m not saying that I’ll quit the job now… but I’ll be honest with you“.

He takes a deep breath before he speaks again. „Do you think you would be okay with moving back to New York with me someday? I… I don’t want you to think that I want to go back there right now, but I’m thinking about taking over my father’s business in the future. The purchasing department would be the perfect thing for me and I know that you loved the big city when we visited my parents last year“.

Evan’s words come over his lips way faster than usual and Betty freezes while she listens to his voice.

For a solid minute no-one says a word and it’s clear that Evan can see the overwhelmed look on Betty’s face. „Wow… that’s…“, she can’t even find the right words to say.

„I’m not talking about right now“, he explains again with a soft expression. „But remember when we talked about moving back to Riverdale for a while? Well… we’ve been here for a year now, Betty. I know you love being back here and I want you to know that I totally understand when you don’t want to leave again. But I wanted to tell you about my thoughts about the future so we can plan it together“.

Betty concentrates on the feeling of his thumb painting circles on her hand while she finally finds some words to say. „I… I don’t really know what to say. I mean I haven’t thought about leaving Riverdale, to be honest“. She stays silent for a few seconds until she adds: „But if that’s something you really want to do, we can think about it… I don’t have to stay in Riverdale forever“.

She tries to hide the fact that a part of her wanted to stay here until her dying day. Being back in her hometown feels simple and that’s something Betty appreciates after years of living in New Haven.

„We don’t have to decide this now“, Evan replies. „It’s not like I’m quitting my job next week“. It’s a light joke and Betty smiles because of his efforts to light up the mood and not because of the joke itself.

„Thank you for telling me about all of this“, she says honestly.

„That’s how a relationship works“, he smiles. „We need to tell each other what goes on inside our heads“.

She only nods to his words and in the next moment their salads get brought to their table and the conversation is over.

Betty admires Evan’s practical idea of a perfect relationship.

_We need to trust each other._

_We need to tell each other everything._

_We need to respect each other’s opinions._

According to Evan, these are the top three rules in a relationship and there was a time Betty appreciated his commitment to everything. And she knows that she needs to tell him about her thoughts of leaving Riverdale again.

They don’t talk about the moving-away-topic again this day, but the conversation in stuck inside Betty’s head the entire time.

_Maybe I’ll find a good job in New York;_ she thinks. _Maybe I’m born for the big city._

But the moment her head turns to her right and she stares out of the window to the lake and the forest behind the restaurant she knows that she would prefer a small town over a big city any time.

**•••**

Seven days later and at the last weekend in May, Betty leaves the Hotel to help Archie with the wedding limousine once again.

It’s a few minutes after 3pm when she parks her car in front of her mothers house and steps through the Andrew’s front yard, the midday sun above shining on her hair and leaving her skin with a warm touch before she opens the door of the small garage and steps inside.

Archie is already kneeling in front of the backside of the car, his head turning in her direction the moment she walks towards him. „Hey. I already started with the rare number… you can take over if you want, then I’ll take a look at the engine“.

He looks a bit more relaxed than usual when he gets up on his two feet.

„Okay, sounds good“, is her short answer while they switch places without really looking at each other. The summer has finally arrived and the temperature seems to rise with each day which turns the garage into some kind of incubator.

It only takes five minutes until Betty has to pull her hair into a ponytail and the sweat is lingering on her skin while Archie, who is only dressed in some black shorts and a white top is wiping his forehead on a dirty towel.

„Never thought I would say this…“, he breathes while he throws the towel back on one of the sideboards on the wall. „… but I kind of miss the rain right now“.

Betty laughs over his words and just like that, they seem to fall back into their normal routine.

It’s easier to work with Archie than it has been a month ago.

Things have been strange between them for far too long and even though Betty isn’t fully at peace with their past, she doesn’t want to hold any grudges anymore.

So, they spent nearly three hours in the burning hot garage, talking about silly things that no-one really cares about. Their conversation is light and not forced at all, which makes the time go by a lot faster than it seems.

But even though they laugh a few times, Betty knows that Archie is avoiding topics like their current love-life like Evan or Laurie or even Veronica’s wedding. Their relationship might be on thicker ice than it was before, but Betty knows that they are not standing on solid ground yet.

_We don’t even need to get back on solid ground with our friendship;_ Betty realizes around 6pm while her eyes drift over to Archie, following his movements as he works on what looks like the new battery they bought. _We don’t need to be friends again… we just need to get along for the wedding. And after that he will return to the Navy and I… I will move to New York… maybe._

At least that’s what Betty tells herself while she forces herself to focus on the metal plate right in front of her.

She is about to search for some new topic so they can talk about something to interrupt the calm but somehow weird silence between them, when suddenly the backdoor of the garage opens and she looks up to the pretty, brunette girl standing in the corridor which is leading right inside the kitchen.

„Hi!“ Sarah, who is dressed in some shorts and a white shirt which is almost identical to Betty’s outfit, is grinning at the both of them while she holds a beer bottle in the air. „We’re making some pizza… are you guys hungry?“

„Sarah…“. Archie sounds a bit tense and when the girls turn to him Betty can see a hesitant look on his face. „… I don’t think Betty wants to eat here“.

„Why not?“, is Sarah’s direct reply and the questioning look on her face is mirroring on Betty’s as well.

„Yeah… why not?“, Betty repeats Sarah’s word with a smile in the corner of her mouth. The brunette girl and Archie exchange a long look while it seems like they are having some kind of discussion with their eyes.

When Archie finally answers to Betty’s question, he seems like he is trying his best to find the right words to say. „Well… I don’t know, I mean… I don’t want you to feel committed to eat with us… and Evan probably wants to eat dinner with you“.

„I will be back at the Hotel in time to eat with him“, is her instant reply while she stands up and pats her hands on her pants. „I have two more hours… and I would love to eat a bit… I’m starving“.

„See!“, Sarah says with a wide grin on her pretty face. „She’s starving! So common and follow me into the kitchen… and I’ll have some beer for you if you want some“.

„You mean _my beer_ , Sarah“, Archie mumbles while he breathes out in an exhausted way and the both of them follow Sarah inside the house.

It’s been years since Betty last stepped through the hallway of the Andrew’s house and it’s bittersweet to see that nothing really changed over time. The colors of the walls are still the same, the furniture hasn’t been changed and even though some pictures on the wall are already missing, nothing really changed that much.

The kitchen is still as bright and colorful as it used to be and a blonde guy is leaning over the fridge as the three of them walk into the room. „Hey Andrews, there are a few wine bottles in here, do you think we can drink that?“

Archie is walking past Betty when he answers. „Luke… what the hell is wrong with you guys today. Why do you want to drink?“

„Common… we have to drink something when we get such great news“, the blonde guy answers the moment he grabs one of the wine bottles and closes the fridge again. „Oh hey“. It’s obvious that he didn’t know that Betty is still here as well. He smiles at her before he turns to the shelf with the glasses on it. „Haven’t seen you in ages… do you want a glass of wine?“

Betty watches how Sarah walks past her as well and her, Archie and Luke move in the small kitchen like it’s the most normal thing in the world. They don’t really seem like a group of friends… they seem like a weird kind of family.

„Betty… you don’t need to drink something“, says Archie while he grabs two empty glasses out of the kitchen cabinet. „I have water as well“.

„I would like to drink a glass with you guys“, Betty decides. „But what are these great news you guys were talking about?“

„Oh, you didn’t tell her?“, Sarah says in Archie’s direction and his eyes fall back to Betty while he puts both glasses to the table in the middle of the room.

„Didn’t tell me what?“, Betty asks with a hint of curiosity in her voice and while Luke puts three more glasses as well on the table and starts to fill them with some expensive looking wine, Archie turns back in Betty’s direction.

„Veronica and Reggie want our band to play on their wedding day“, he confesses and even though Betty knows he tries to downplay the whole thing, there is still a small smile in the corner of his mouth.

„Wow! That’s amazing!“ Betty’s joy is real and so are the smiles on Sarah’s and Luke’s faces.

„It really is, isn’t it?“, the brunette girl replies while she reaches Betty one of the filled glasses. „Jerry!! Come over here, the wine is ready!“

A guy with long hair is stepping into the room, greets Betty with a short but kind „Hi“ and takes the wine glass Sarah reaches him.

„Alright… let’s clink our glasses for Vortex tonight“, Sarah smiles while all of them put their wine glasses in the air. „It’s been a rocky road… but we’re finally good enough to play at weddings!“

„Cheers!“ The wine tastes good on Betty’s tongue and the excitement in the room is lighting her whole mood up within a few seconds. This group of people is emitting such an energy and positive feeling that it’s almost impossible to dislike them and even though Betty should feel like the third wheel right now, the people around her make her feel like she is a part of their little group.

„Never thought I would say this… but it was a good choice to come to Riverdale“, Sarah says with a wide grin on her face and they five of them laugh over her words.

_Yeah… I know how that feels like;_ Betty adds in her mind. It’s been a whole year since she returned to her hometown and she still isn’t completely sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

She takes another sip of the wine in her hand and for a moment she can feel Archie’s eyes on her skin.

Riverdale portrays Betty’s home, Riverdale portrays Betty’s past.

But Riverdale also portrays all her old demons… including the relationships that nearly broke her apart.

_I’m happy;_ she reminds herself while she watches the group of people around her. _But… am I as happy as these people?_

She empties the whole glass of wine in her hands within a few seconds to escape the feeling of doubting and uncertainty and only nods when Sarah asks her if she would like to have another glass. „Sure“.

And just like that, the whole afternoon gets a lot more interesting.

After ten minutes, all of them are sipping on their second glasses of wine.

After twenty minutes they walk over to the living room and sit down on the couch while someone puts some football match on the TV.

After thirteen minutes they order pizza from the delivery place out of town.

And after forty minutes Betty is sitting on the couch between Sarah and Luke, watching how the both of them are in a heated argument about different kind of dancing stiles for elegant events.

„I’m telling you Luke, you need to learn how to dance when you want to go to the wedding with us!“ Sarah’s voice is a bit louder than before but there is laughter in the back of her throat when she leans over Betty’s legs to talk to Luke on the other side.

„Forget it, not in a thousand years… dancing is for jerks“. The blonde guy laughs over his own words and while Sarah rolls with her eyes Betty empties her third glass of wine.

Betty can’t really tell why exactly she is drinking in such a fast speed… maybe because she doesn’t really notices it. All she knows is that she is constantly laughing over the people around her. Sarah and Luke seem to be the main attraction in the room while Betty is staying silent for most of them time. Jerry is sitting on a chair beside the TV while Archie is sitting on the other end of the couch and even though he didn’t want to drink that much an hour ago, he is on his third glass of wine as well.

Even though the sun is already starting to set behind the roofs of the neighborhood, it’s still pretty warm in the house and Betty holds the empty glass against her cheek to cool her skin a little bit. Over all it has been an exhausting day.

Her eyes fall to the clock on the wall and the blood rushed through her veins the moment she realizes that she shouldn’t even sit here at all.

„God, I should be fixing a car right now“. The words leave her mouth in mumbled tones and of course Sarah is hearing everything.

„Oh no, you deserve this break, trust me“. The brunette girl smiles. „And by the way, you need to help me to convince Luke that he needs to learn how to dance waltz before he makes a fool of himself at the wedding“.

Betty turns her head to Luke, raising her eyebrows a bit. „You never danced classic waltz before?“

„No.“ He raises his wine glass in a proud way and Sarah glares at him and Archie only shakes his head in amusement.

„Alright…“. Betty takes a deep breath and stands up from the couch with a soft swing while she puts the empty wine glass to the small table to her right. „… stand up. I’ll teach you“.

Luke stares up to her with pure shock in his eyes while Sarah, Jerry and Archie break out in laughter.

„Common… I don’t have all night“, Betty adds while she walks a few steps to the middle of the room.

„Let’s go you coward!“ Sarah hushes and Luke finally gives in, places his glass on the table as well and joins Betty in the middle of the small living room. „Okay… teach me. But I’m out of here when I have to do a pirouette.“

„You’ll see… it’s actually pretty easy“.

Well… at least that’s what Betty thought in that moment.

Turns out teaching Luke Perez waltz is a little bit harder than she had planned. And what started out as a silly joke turns into some lighthearted but intense dance lesson.

At some point the football game on the TV gets switched to some old music channel while Luke steps onto Betty’s feet over and over again and Sarah’s and Jerry’s laugh is echoing through the small room.

Only Archie is sitting on his spot on the couch, the wine glass in his hands and a light smile on his lips while Betty can feel his eyes on her from time to time. She ignores his look most of the time and tries her best to focus on the blonde guy in front of her, which isn't as easy as it seems. 

It’s weird how she got into this situation. All she wanted was to fix a car. Now she is dancing through her old neighbors house with the best friend of her ex-boyfriend.

And after twenty minutes, Luke finally seems to catch up to the dance moves she is showing him. „Hey… I think I can actually… do this“, he laughs while she is letting go of him and he is doing some dry runs on the living room floor.

„I told you it’s not that hard“, Sarah laughs when she jumps up from the couch and walks up to him with a big grin on her face. „Now you won’t embarrass us at the wedding“.

The blonde guy only rolls his eyes. „Don’t be so sure about that“.

Betty still isn’t completely sure if the two persons in front of her are in a friend or in a relationship but she slowly reached a point where she doesn’teven care anymore. Whatever Luke and Sarah have seems to be fun and special and Betty catches herself wondering if her and Evan have that same charisma when they show up side by side.

She decides to leave Luke and Sarah on the small and improvised dance floor for a minute and grabs her empty wine glass from the table. „I’ll get some more wine from the kitchen“.

Her steps are fast when she leaves the living room and steps into the empty kitchen. She puts the glass down on the counter for a moment and leans against the fridge to cool down her heated skin. _Never do dance lessons when it’s hot outside._

A hum comes over her lips when she opens her eyes again and she stares at the clock on the other side of the room. _I should leave soon… Evan will be worried if I come home late again._

The exact moment she pushes herself off the fridge again, Archie walks through the door. She hasn’t really looked at him during the last thirty minutes because all her concentration was directed to the almost impossible plan to teach Luke how to dance, but now Betty has finally time to lock at him again.

„I didn’t know you can dance like that“, the red-haired man says partly amused, partly impressed when his steps slow down and he stops right beside the doorway, leaning against the wall while he speaks.

Betty grabs her empty wine glass again, just so she can focus on something else then the way he keeps looking at her dressed in his white top. _Stop it right now._

„I took some dance lessons in New Haven“, she explains. „My mother wanted me to learn all the classic dances… and Evan needed a dance partner“.

The look on his face stays inscrutable and for a moment it looks like he wants to say something but he seems to change his mind because his mouth stays closed.

A short but somehow comfortable silence spreads between them while the laughter from Jerry, Sarah and Luke echoes through the hallway. Betty can’t help but smile. „I’m glad I was able to help Luke a bit with the dancing“. Her eyes fall to the wine bottle in front of her. „And I’m so happy for you guys about the gig at the wedding“.

„Thank you“, he answers and she doesn’t need to look at him to know that the little smile on his face has returned. „I hope everything will turn out great“.

„I’m sure it will“.

Silence follows again but that’s only normal if you’re standing in a kitchen with a guy that was once your best friend, then your boyfriend and now… now he is something indescribable.

„Do you want more wine?“, Archie asks after a minute while her eyes are still stuck on one of the wine bottles on the dinner table.

„That was the plan… but the more I think about it the more I realize I should drink some water“, she explains while a smile spreads over her face.

„Good plan“, Archie answers a bit amused and he finally moves away from the wall and walks past her to pull a water bottle out of the fridge. Without asking, he grabs a new glass out of the kitchen shelf and fills it with the cooling liquid. „Here“.

She takes the glass with a thankful nod and is somehow glad that he is taking a step backward again, so he is now leaning against the fridge like she did a few minutes ago. Betty just stands there in the middle of the room, a little bit lost while she turns around and sits down on one of the wooden chairs at the table. „Your friends are great“. Her voice is honest but a bit quiet while she speaks. „They’re good people“.

He turns his face to the noise of the laughter from the living room. „I know… they are the best“.

Maybe it’s the wine in her blood, maybe it’s because she is feeling light and warm right now, but Betty speaks words she thought she would never say out loud. „I can’t believe I used to be jealous of Sarah“.

Archie stays silent for a moment so Betty has to look up to him to see his reaction.

„You were jealous of Sarah?“ A laugh breaks over his lips. „Why?“

„I don’t know…“. She takes a sip from her water and enjoys the moment the cooling liquid is running down her throat. „She was this pretty girl with that beautiful singing voice… and had a guitar in her hand and was at the Naval Academy“. A smile appears on Betty’s lips because somehow, it feels refreshing to finally confess how she felt years ago.

Archie shakes his head, the laugh still lingering in his mouth. „I can’t believe you thought like that… I never noticed it“.

„Well there wasn’t much time to notice it, right? We didn’t see each other very often“. Betty’s words are supposed to sound funny but she is opening up a topic that the both of them unofficially declared tabu.

„I know…“, Archie replies after a long pause and when she looks back up to him, there is sadness in his dark eyes. „But Betty… there was never a reason to be jealous. Sarah is like my little sister“.

„Now I can see that too… but back then everything felt a little more intense“, she replies to explain herself.

„I know“. Archie’s voice is a bit deeper than before. „It was the same for me“. He pushes himself off the fridge and walks around the table, only to sit down across form her, pulling the water bottle to his side while a strange smile appears on his lips. „I was jealous of Evan as well, back then“.

She would love to roll her eyes at his reply but the look in his eyes is too serious for jokes. There is another moment of silence where neither of them speaks. There seem to be a lot questions lingering on Archie’s face and she wonders if he will ever find the strength to ask them.

„I was single for several years… before I got together with Evan“. Her voice is soft and he seems surprised by her words. Betty shouldn’t even feel the need to explain herself to him, but there is this strange feeling inside her that just needs Archie to know that she didn’t thought about Evan during their relationship.

„You don’t need to explain anything to me“, Archie says and the moment their eyes meet, she knows why she is doing it nevertheless. She still cares about the boy next door… at least she cares enough to tell him the truth about her past.

The alcohol in her blood is making her feel dizzy when her eyes fall back on the glass inside her hand. „Sometimes… I think about how my life would look like… if things went differently“.

She doesn’t really think about her choice of words very much. „I think it’s funny… Veronica and Reggie are getting married… people from High School are getting babies already… and all these things were born in our past“. Her words sound dazed but he seems to understand what she means. „I mean… we are just human, you know? We… we make mistakes and we make decisions on a daily basis. And at the end of the day we’re suddenly adults and our life is build around us from mistakes and choices we made… it’s just crazy“.

He doesn’t say anything to her words, so she speaks again because damn - when will she ever get a real chance to talk like this again? „Do you think back sometimes and wonder… if you had the chance to do something again… would you do some things differently?“

Silence.

The only thing she can hear is her own heartbeat while her own words linger in her ear.

After a long pause she looks back up to him and the moment their eyes meet, she knows that he understands what she is saying. _Of course he does… we grew up together._

„Betty…“.

„I know this sounds crazy“. A lighthearted laugh comes over her lips. „Don’t take me seriously… I think I had too much wine.“ Her eyes move back to the clock on the wall and she stands up in the same moment, suddenly feeling the urge to escape this weird situation. „I need to go back to the Hotel or I will be late again“.

Archie stands up the moment she walks past his chair. „You can’t drive like this… I’ll drive you“.

She holds in for a moment. „You drank just as much as I did“.

„No, I didn’t. I only had one glass“.

That’s the first time she realizes that the look on his face is way more sober than the gaze in her own eyes. _Great._

She wants to reply something to that, but he makes the decision before she can even open her mouth. „I’ll drive you, no chance I’ll let you on the driver seat like this…“.

He turns around and walks back to the living room without a word and she just glares at his silhouette before he returns with her bag and her car keys. „Let’s go“.

Betty says goodbye to Sarah, Jerry and Luke when she walks past the living room door and can’t escape before promising Sarah that she will show her how to dance the waltz as well before the wedding.

When Betty finally follows Archie out into the dark front yard, the fresh air hits her like a truck and she takes a deep breath while she follows him to her car. „Wait… take your own car. If we drive with mine you’ll have to call a cab to get back here“.

„No problem… I’ll walk back home... it's not that far“, is his simple reply while he just shrugs with his shoulders before sitting down on the driver’s seat.

It takes a few minutes to get to the Hotel with the car and the streets are almost empty at this time of the day. Betty keeps starring out the window most of the time, partly because she doesn’t really know what to say, partly because she doesn’t want to look at him anymore.

The alcohol is like some sort of curse that is wiping away all her protective shields she kept up since she saw Archie again at the beginning of the month.Because this man right beside her is her ex-boyfriend, he is the one that hurt her more than anyone else ever did. He is the reason she was depressed for several months.

But he is also the only that seems to understand every word she speaks in a drunk moment.

He used to be her best friend, he used to know her better than anyone else.

That’s why she can’t bring herself to take a look at him in the dark car beside her. Because everything about him is reminding her about a memory of their past.

She remembers the night he picked her up when she was drunk at Cheryl’s party.

She remembers the embarrassing text messages she send to him.

She remembers how it felt waking up beside him the next morning.

And Betty absolutely hates that she can’t ban this memories out of her mind. The truth is, she doesn’t want to keep thinking about the past anymore. She has a bright future in front of her, with Evan by her side.

But right now, it’s not Evan who is driving her home. It’s Archie. And she wonders why that feels like a crime.

„Are you alright?“ Archie asks after a few minutes and he pulls her back from her thoughts and she can’t help but to turn her head in his direction. „You’re so quiet“.

„I’m fine… just a bit tired“. Her eyes fall onto his bare shoulders and the way his white top is shining in the street lights outside and she turns back to her right, curving down the window to cool down the rising heat on her skin.

She closes her eyes when the night-wind hits her skin and she enjoys the fresh feeling on her cheeks. _Only three more streets until we’re at the Hotel._

„Betty, I want to ask you something… but I don’t want you to take this the wrong way“, Archie suddenly says and his voice is slower and deeper than before.

She keeps her eyes closed. „Go ahead“.

He stays silent for a moment before he speaks. „Are you happy in your life?“

This question hits her a bit unprepared and she is forced to open her eyes again. Archie doesn’t say anything else and seems to wait for her to answer.

„Of course, I’m happy“. She can feel his eyes on the side of her face when she speaks. „I know why you’re asking this, but don’t worry about the stuff I said in your kitchen… that’s just me being drunk“.

He doesn’t say anything to that and they fall into silence once again. _Two more streets._

When Archie speaks again, his voice is even slower than before. „Betty, the question you asked me… if I would do some things differently if I had the chance… “.

„It doesn’t matter anymore, those were just some dumb words“.

Her soft voice cuts him off as he turns around another street-corner. _One more street._

„There are a few things I would have done differently“, he says the moment the Hotel is appearing at the end of the street and something about the way he says it, forces her to actually look at him. He keeps his eyes on the road while he speaks. „But… I don’t think it would have mattered. At the end of the day we all make decisions because we think it’s the right thing to do… and then we have to deal with the consequences.“

The moment he finally parks her car in front of the Hotel he turns his face in her direction. There are a lot of unspoken words and history laying between them but neither of them is willing to speak directly about it. And they probably shouldn’t do it in the first place.

„So, you don’t regret anything you did in your life?“ Betty doesn’t even know what answer she wants to hear from him. Yes? No?

Another moment of silence while she watches the shadows on his face. It’s been a month and she still can’t believe that he is sitting right beside her in this car. She spent years with missing him and now that she can see him again, he has turned into a stranger.

He doesn’t answer her question, he just opens the car door and steps out on the sidewalk. She follows him and grabs the keys and her bag and the moment she feels the fresh air inside her lungs, she is almost completely sober again.

Archie walks around the car but keeps his distance from her while the lights around the Hotel light up his silhouette. „I’ll better walk home now… I’ll see you next week?“

She simply nods while her finger cling around the keys in her hand.

„Alright. Goodnight Betty“. There is a soft smile in the corner of his mouth as their eyes lock one last time… and Betty hates everything about it. She hates that a part of her wants him to stay a bit longer. And she hates it even more that she doesn’t have the right to think that way anymore.

But even though all of it is more than wrong, she calls after him when he turns around. He is already a few feet away from her, nearly vanished in the darkness of the night when he looks back at her.

„You didn’t answer my question!“, she yells through the night, her voice echoing over the empty street.

„You really want to know if I regret some mistakes of my past?“, he yells back, but this time his voice is much softer than before.

She doesn’t say anything, silently telling him yes. 

When she finally gets her answer, she doesn’t know if that’s the thing she wanted to hear.

„I do“, he says through the night. „Every single day“.

And then he turns around and he disappears in the darkness, leaving her standing in front of the Hotel.

_There you have you answer… feel better now?_

She stares after him for a long moment, his voice ringing in her ears even though she is surrounded by nothing more than silence.

When she finally goes inside the building and walks up to her apartment, she doesn’t really know what to think anymore. Their conversation was so indirect the entire time, that she doesn’t even know what he even meant with that answer.

All she knows is that she feels a sad but powerful longing inside her chest that she isn’t used to anymore.

When she opens the door of her apartment Evan is walking out of the bathroom, his eyes starring at the TV on the wall. „Hey“, he says with a smile when she closes the door. „How was your day…“.

She interrupts him with walking up to to him with fast steps, her hands on his chest, her lips on his mouth the moment she pushes him to their bed.

„Hey, wait… did you drink something?“, he says while his head falls to the mattress and she sits down on his lap, trying to ignore every feeling that is circling inside her chest.

„Just a little“, she answers. „I tried some new wine… but that’s not important right now“. She knows that he wants to say something else but she doesn’t want to talk right now. So, she leans down and presses her lips on his mouth, tries everything to get a good hold onto his body.

„I missed you“. Her words aren’t a lie… yeah, she missed Evan.

But that’s not the reason why she is holding onto him like this. There is a longing inside her that screams for the closeness of another person.

She wants to relief the pain inside her that somehow made its way back to the surface.

She wants to feel the warmth of another body on her skin.

She wants to hide the wild mixture of emotions the last few hours caused in her.

She doesn’t want to face the feelings inside her.

And all above she wants to erase the picture of Archie Andrews out of her mind, even though he seems to be the reason she is feeling like this in the first place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish you all a happy new year 2021!!! Let's hope this year will be better than the last one...  
> It's officially Barchie-month with the Season 5 premiere coming up and I'm super excited to see the post-timejump episodes!  
> I hope you liked this chapter of my story and as usual, I would LOVE to hear your thoughts about it!! 🖤  
> Have a lovely day! xx


	8. I've been told to get you off my mind

****

**"I've been told, I've been told to get you off my mind**   
**But I hope I never lose the bruises that you left behind**   
**Oh my lord, oh my lord, I need you by my side**

**There must be something in the water."**

During High School, Archie Andrews has never been a good liar. He was bad at lying, he was bad at hiding something and all above he was bad at admitting something to someone or even himself.

Five years later, Archie Andrews may be older and wiser… but he still isn’t a good liar. And he is past the point of actually caring about that… but not when it comes to Betty Cooper.

Because it’s hard as hell to have her in his garage for almost a whole day, without really having a real conversation with the pretty girl. Archie knows he has to keep some kind of distance between them because this friendship, or this… whatever this between them is right now isn’t meant to last longer than the next three months.

It’s nearly June now and Archie knows his days here are counted. September is lingering in the back of his head every time he takes a look at his three best friends, but the image of the Navy gets even clearer when his eyes are fixed on the face of Betty Cooper.

Archie has been fighting a lot of demons in his life, some of them real, some of them imagination.

But leaving Betty behind in New York and pretending like her or their past isn’t important to him anymore, would have to be the biggest demon of them all.

He lost her once. And he doesn’t want to feel like that ever again. So the only thing he can do is to stay away from her the best he can.

And Archie tries everything in his power to keep his distance from the blonde girl while she is walking around him this Saturday afternoon, her high ponytail flying through the air every time she turns around to grab some new wires form the sideboard behind her.

Archie knows what he has to do. It’s simple.

_If I don’t care about her now, I won’t care about her in three months as well._

The boy next door won’t risk any distraction this summer. Because he knows if he stares a bit too long at Betty’s face, if he listens to her voice a bit longer or if he even dares to think about her more than he should… it will hurt him to leave Riverdale again. And that’s something he wants to avoid at all costs.

So, he tries not to interact a lot with her when she walks through his garage this Saturday. He is polite, he answers her questions every time she starts some small talk, but nothing more.

And his plan is working… until Sarah Thompson is standing in the doorway with a beer in her hand and a wide smile on her lips and Archie just knows _– this can’t be good._

He wanted to have Betty out of his mind, and now she is inside his living room, drinking wine and laughing over some dumb conversation between Sarah and Luke while Archie is wondering if the universe is either testing him, or is simply trying to punish him.

 _Punishment. It’s a punishment;_ he realizes the moment he has to witness how Betty is trying to teach Luke the classic waltz. _Dear lord._

And even though Archie tries everything in his power to concentrate on the ongoing conversation with Jerry beside him, his eyes seem to find their way to the two people in the middle of the room.

 _Of course, she can dance;_ he thinks. _And of course, she has to look like an angel while doing it._

At some point Jerry’s voice beside him is just another background noise while Archie is simply starring at the way Betty is dancing through his small living room. He doesn’t even notice Luke right beside her anymore… _who is doing a horrendous job by the way._

_I was doing so well. I was concentrating on my own things, I wasn’t noticing her all that much… and now she’s here, dancing and laughing in my living room, drinking wine with my friends. Amazing._

He tears his eyes away the moment Luke and Betty break apart and Archie turns his head to Jerry, hopelessly trying to follow a conversation he didn’t follow for several minutes.

“Dude, you didn’t even listen to me”. There is a laugh in Jerry’s words while Sarah jumps up from the couch to join Luke on the improvised dance floor.

But all of that isn’t quite important anymore because the most interesting person in the room is leaving to the kitchen with the short explanation “I’ll get some more wine from the kitchen”.

Archie watches Betty leave and for a short moment he can notice a small and well hidden, sad expression on her face before she disappears into the small hallway.

“Archie, I asked you something…”. Jerry’s voice doesn’t even reach him anymore.

_Maybe I want to keep my distance from her… but I still need to know if she’s alright._

“Sorry, I’ll be right back”, he says to the long-haired man beside him, before he stands up and walks past Luke and Sarah, following Betty to the kitchen.

When he sees her leaning against his fridge with her eyes closed and her brows a bit furrowed, he gets a bit worried, but when she takes a step to the table while opening her eyes again he knows there is nothing to worry about. _She is alright. Maybe a bit drunk… but alright._

„I didn’t know you can dance like that“, amusement and impressment is swinging in his voice and when she looks in his direction he is already leaning against the doorframe.

A beat of silence passes by and she grabs the wine bottle in front of her before she answers. „I took some dance lessons in New Haven. My mother wanted me to learn all the classic dances… and Evan needed a dance partner“. 

The way she is adding Evan to her answer after a short pause is sounding like she is trying to involve him into the topic like it’s an unspoken rule. For a moment he would love to say something

The look on his face stays inscrutable and for a moment it looks like he wants to say something cocky to that, but his mouth stays closed. There isn’t the need to answer to that either way.

A short but somehow comfortable silence spreads between them while the laughter from Jerry, Sarah and Luke echoes through the hallway. Betty can’t help but smile. „I’m glad I was able to help Luke a bit with the dancing“. Her eyes fall to the wine bottle in front of her. „And I’m so happy for you guys about the gig at the wedding“. 

„Thank you“, he is sure she can hear the pride in his voice. „I hope everything will turn out great“. 

„I’m sure it will“. 

He follows her eyes to the wine bottle in her hands and can’t help but to raise his eyebrows in a curious way. “Do you want more wine?”

“That was the plan… but the more I think about it the more I realize I should drink some water”. She smiles over her own words.

 _That’s what I thought._ “Good plan”. He pushes himself off the doorframe and walks past her, ignoring how her eyes flicker over his silhouette the moment they nearly bump into each other. After filling a glass with water, he turns back around, leaning against the fridge. “Here”.

He watches her walk around the small table before she sits down on one of the wooden chairs, the glass against her lips when she speaks again. “Your friends are great… they’re good people”.

 _I knew you would like them… they like you too_. “I know… they are the best”.

He listens to the laughing that is echoing all the way from the living room to the kitchen when Betty suddenly says: “I can’t believe I used to be jealous of Sarah”.

At first, he doesn’t really know how to react to that statement before a laugh breaks over his lips. “You were jealous of Sarah? Why?”

“I don’t know… she was this pretty girl with that beautiful singing voice and had guitar in her hand and was at the Naval Academy.” Betty smiles a bit and he shakes his head over her words.

“I can’t believe you thought like that… I never noticed it”.

“Well… there wasn’t much time to notice it, right? We didn’t see each other very often”. The sadness he thought he had seen before on her face reappears.

He hates seeing her like this.

“I know… but there was never a reason to be jealous. Sarah is like my little sister”. _I thought that was always obvious._

“Now I can see that too, but back then everything felt a little more intense”, she explains a bit weaker than before and he immediately knows how she feels and what she means by that.

“I know… it was the same for me too”, he confesses a bit lower than before.

He looks down at her and wonders if he should tell her how he felt back than as well.

“I was jealous of Evan as well, back then”. The words are over his lips before he can think too much about it and her eyes flicker up to his face, obviously able to read every hidden question in his expression. Archie doesn’t want to feel the emotions he went through back when he was jealous of Evan Campbell. But at the end of the day he is only human and he can’t really hide the fact that a part of him keeps wondering if the Betty and Evan thing started right after he broke up with her in New York.

Betty seems to read his thoughts. “I was single for several years before I got together with Evan.” Her words are soft and he can’t help but feel surprised by her explanation, even though her answer shakes even more questions loose inside his head. _She was single for so long? Why?_

He pushes the rising feeling of guilt back down to his stomach. “You don’t need to explain anything to me”. _You don’t owe me anything, Betty._

Her eyes fall down to the glass of water in her hands when she opens her mouth for a response. “Sometimes I think about how my life would look like… if things went differently. I think it’s funny… Veronica and Reggie are getting married, people from High School are getting babies already and all these things were born in our past”. A few of her words don’t even make sense but something about the sudden tone change in her voice makes his blood freeze in his veins. “I mean we are just human, you know. We… we make mistakes and we make decisions on a daily basis. And at the end of the day we’re suddenly adults and our life is built around us from mistakes and choices we made… it’s crazy”.

Watching her speak like this hurts and there is simply nothing he can do to make her feel better. He wants to say something to brush this new topic off, but then she adds something that pulls him back down into his guilt. “Do you think back sometimes and wonder… if you had the chance to do something again… would you do some things differently?”

No, he isn’t just imagining things anymore. She has to be speaking about their past, right? Or at least partly.

There is so much he could say but none of his answers feels right. “Betty…”.

“I know this sounds crazy”. A weird laugh comes over her lips and he is watching how her head turns to the clock on the wall. “Don’t take me seriously, I think I had too much wine… I need to go back to the Hotel, or I will be late again”.

She is already standing up and he copies her movements, still not really understanding what she meant by the words she just said. The conversation was ended so abruptly that he just stands there kind of lost for a moment before he takes a look at the girl stand two feet away from him. “You can’t drive like this… I’ll drive you”.

There is doubt written on her face. “You drank just as much as I did”.

“No, I didn’t. I only had one glass”. It’s true. Wine was never a favorite of Archie. Before she can shut him down he adds: “I’ll drive you, no chance I’ll let you on the driver seat like this.”

When he turns away and walks towards the hallway, he can feel her eyes on his back.

Sitting beside a drunk Betty Cooper in a car in the middle of the night shouldn’t feel like a throwback to their last year in High School. But it does.

It’s silent for a while and Archie gets lost in his thoughts, his eyes stuck on the dark road while Betty’s words from before still linger in the back of his mind. Betty is wise, Betty is an adult, Betty is smart, and Betty might seem like someone he doesn’t really know anymore.

But Archie could swear that he can see regret in her eyes every time she risks taking a look at him when she believes he isn’t noticing it. It’s clear that she isn’t completely happy… and he can’t help but to wonder why.

“Are you alright? You’re so quiet.” He keeps his eyes on the road and she seems to be determined to stare out of the window beside her for the rest of the car ride.

“I’m fine… just a bit tired”. That might be the truth, but Archie can hear the hidden emotions in her quiet voice. _There is something on her mind… that’s good because there is something on my mind as well._

“Betty, I want to ask you something… but I don’t want you to take this the wrong way”. He is careful with his words, slowly trying to find the line between them so he won’t overstep it.

“Go ahead”.

He stays silent for a moment before he speaks. “Are you happy in your life?”

It doesn’t take long until he can feel her eyes on the side of his face again while he waits for her answer. “Of course, I’m happy. I know why you’re asking this, but don’t worry about the stuff I said in your kitchen. That’s just me being drunk”.

_Oh Betty, I know you when you’re drunk._

Archie remembers the night he picked her up from Cheryl’s party all to well. The thing about Drunk-Betty is, that she is speaking the words that she usually keeps for herself. Back in Senior Year, the words she told him were sweet… but tonight her voice was filled with dark emotions and Archie can’t just simply ignore all of that.

“Betty, the questions you asked me… if I would do some things differently if I had the chance…”.

“It doesn’t matter anymore, those were just some dumb words”.

 _I wish they were just some dumb words;_ he replies in his mind before he decides to speak out loud. “There are a few things I would have done differently. But I don’t think it would have mattered. At the end of the day we all make decisions because we think it’s the right thing to do. And then we have to deal with the consequences”.

He parks the car the moment she turns her face in his direction and for a moment he wishes she wouldn’t look at him like this. “So, you don’t regret anything you did in your life?” Her words are soft but there seems to be an undeniable urge for a real answer behind her question.

 _What do you want to hear from me?_ He doesn’t say anything, he just opens the door of the car and jumps outside before he is doing something stupid like telling the truth.

“I’ll better walk home now… I’ll see you next week?” He changes the topic when she follows him on to the sidewalk and he can’t help but to stare at the way her usually so breathtaking face seems to drown in the darkness of the night.

Betty only nods as an answer.

“Alright. Goodnight Betty”. He turns around and steps into the night, but it only takes a few seconds until he can hear her voice echoing over the empty street.

“You didn’t answer my question!” _Of course, she wouldn’t give up this easily._

He could laugh over her impressive persistence and he could cry over this helpless situation. “You really want to know if I regret some mistakes of my past?”, he simply yells back and he turns around for a moment, watches how her green eyes glitter in the Hotel light beside her. _God Betty, couldn’t this answer be any clearer?_

“I do”, he confesses. “Every single day”. _There you have your answer. An answer that doesn’t change anything._

He turns around before she can say anything else or he can do something stupid like explaining what exactly he means with that. _Of course, I regret leaving you Betty… but I thought you already knew that. Wasn’t it even clear four years ago?_

**•••**

Archie wakes up with a headache the next morning but it’s clear the pain inside his head isn’t caused by one single glass of wine. _Overthinking is a curse._

When he goes downstairs Luke and Jerry are still asleep on the couch, so he leaves the house and goes on a morning run instead of eating breakfast in the kitchen. It’s already 10am when he returns to his house only to find his friends still asleep on the couch. _Alcohol is a beast._

His mind returns to the night before as he stands under the shower a few minutes later and now matter how many waterdrops run over his face, he can’t wipe away the image of Betty standing in the darkness in front of the Lodge-Hotel behind her.

_What the hell did I do…_

He makes the decision that his confession about regretting some mistakes from the past probably isn’t even that important. Who knows… maybe Betty doesn’t even remember what he said?

When Archie returns downstairs Luke is finally awake and searching for some cereal in the kitchen.

“Good morning ballerina”. Archie can’t fight the amusement in his voice while Luke only rolls his eyes. “Shut up… I will never dance again in my entire life. And wine is cancelled as well”.

“Yeah, sure”. Archie turns around with a grin, making his way to the front door.

“Where’re you going?” Luke shouts after him.

“To the garage”, he yells back. “There are a few things I started repairing yesterday that I need to finish”.

He closes the front door behind him right after Luke mumbles some answer and he breathes in the fresh summer air on his way through the front yard.

It takes him half an hour to install the new engine cooler to the car and he turns on the radio in the background and listens to some old country songs the entire time while his mind drifts off to the night before.

I always thought Betty knew I never wanted the break-up to happen in the firs place… I did it because it was the best option.

He shakes his head every time his thoughts return to the blonde girl next door because he damn well knows he shouldn’t even be thinking about her at all. But Betty seems to be stuck in his mind the whole time, even when he turns off the radio after an hour and he wipes his hands clean on one of the dirty towels beside him.

When he leaves the garage again, the sun is already high above him and he is on his way to the front door when he can hear a car door opening.

He turns his head to the street, expecting to see Alice or FP returning from some shopping trip, but it’s not one of his neighbors who is walking over the sidewalk this time.

It’s Evan Campbell… and he’s alone.

Archie’s steps slow down and he watches how the dark-haired man enters his front yard. _Well, this will be interesting._

“Hey, can I help you?” Archie actually sounds curious and that’s the moment their eyes meet and Evan stops a few feet away from him. 

The dark-haired and a bit tense looking guy stays silent for a moment before he speaks. “Listen Andrews I don’t want any problems with you. And to be honest, I wish I didn’t have to come here today.” He seems to search for the rights words for a moment, the look on his face darkening a bit. “I know we said that the past is the past and everything is forgot and forgiven… but we both know that’s bullshit. I’ll just say it… I want you to keep your distance from Betty.”

Evan’s words surprise Archie and he just stands there for a moment with a confused expression on his face. There are a lot of different replies lingering on his tongue right now, but he goes with the most decent one possible. “I have no idea why you’re even here, Evan. And to be honest I have no idea what your problem is right now”.

“Alright, then let me explain this to you”, is Evan’s direct reply and even though Archie’s words were a lot lighter than his, Evan seems to be dead serious. “At first I thought this little let’s-fix-a-car-together thing wouldn’t be such a problem. But I should have known it wouldn’t be good for Betty. She is acting weird, she is coming home way too late and that’s something that hasn’t happened in years, two weeks ago she showed up covered in mud and yesterday she came home _drunk_. We both know you had a bad influence on her in the past and if I wouldn’t know better, I would say that’s the same thing that is happening right now.”

“Are you serious?” At first Archie believes Evan is just messing with him, but the more he keeps starring at his firm expression, the more he realizes that that’s obviously not the case. “Alright, seems like you’re actually serious… okay, then let me say something as well”. Archie takes a small step forward while anger starts to boil in his blood. “It’s not my fault Betty decided to drink some wine here yesterday. She is a grown woman and I’m not someone who has the right to tell her what she should or what she shouldn’t do. And it’s not my fault she fell into mud as well… and all above, it’s not my fault _your_ girlfriend is acting strange or weird.”

“We both know it’s your bad influence that is making her act like that… you and this damn town. Everything was fine until you showed up”.

Archie could laugh over Evan’s reply, but he is way too angry about his words. “Have you ever thought about the possibility that you should talk to Betty about all of this? I don’t know if she even knows if you’re here or not but maybe you should speak to her instead of driving all the way over here only to blame everything on me”. 

It seems like Archie hit a nerve this time because anger is showing on Evan’s face. “It’s not your business if I’m talking with her or not”. _Great, so she doesn’t even know he’s here._

“You’re right”, Archie replies directly. “But if you like it or not, Betty used to be an important part of my life as well and I care about her well-being. So, if she is being as weird as you said, maybe you should do something about it. As you said, you’re her boyfriend. Then act like it and make sure she is happy, for god’s sake. Don’t come over here and blame me for your mistakes, you’re the one who should take care of her”.

As soon as the last word leaves Archie’s mouth a strange laugh comes over Evans’s lips. “Oh common… you’re one to talk. You care about her well-being?” He takes a step closer and this time, real furry is painted in his eyes. “Aren’t you the one who left her alone in New York?”

The mention of New York hits Archie a bit unprepared, so Evan keeps talking with an ironic smile on his face. “You tell me you care about her… if that would be true you wouldn’t have hurt her like that a few years ago. I mean you are the reason she was depressed for several months”.

Archie stays silent while he can feel his heart ache inside his chest.

“You didn’t even know this, did you?”, Evan asks partly surprised, partly spiteful. “You left her paralyzed for over a year. It took her months to finally open up again or to smile a bit, it took her years until she was finally happy again.”

_She was depressed? She was unhappy for months?_

The realization of that feels like the cut of a knife but Archie remembers the reason why he had to do all of this in the first place. “I broke up with her, to give her a better future”, he brings over his lips, the anger in his voice mixing with the urge to defend himself. “I did that, so she could be happy again. And I always cared for her well-being, and I still do”.

“You say you care for her well-being? Good… then fix this damn car on your own.”, is Evan’s reply while he takes another step forward. “Stay the fuck away from her. I don’t care if you two were friends before, I just know that it’s not good for her to be around you anymore… maybe it never even was. I don’t like you Andrews, I never did. But judging the reason why you broke up with Betty in the first place gives me hope that you’ll be able to understand why you shouldn’t be around her anymore”.

There is something so mocking in the way Evan talks to him, that an ironic smile appears on Archie’s face. “Wow… I just remembered why I didn’t like you four years ago… guess some things never change”.

“Yeah, except the fact that Betty isn’t your girlfriend anymore. She is mine. And she is better off this way. You’ll return to your service one day and Betty and I will move to New York or some other great city.”

A picture of Betty and Evan drinking some champagne on a rooftop in New York crosses Archie’s mind… and all he wants to do is rip that image out of his head.

“I just hop that Betty wants the same thing as you”, Archie replies. “A future should be planned by two people”.

“That’s not your problem anymore”. Evan sounds a bit more tense than before. “Which brings me to the point of the conversation. I don’t need you to influence Betty in any kind, because you have no right to be this important anymore. There is a line… and I think you shouldn’t cross it another time”.

_Oh, how I would love to punch this guy in the face._

But there is something in Evan’s words that makes Archie freeze for a moment. It’s the same feeling he got last night, when he saw the sadness on Betty’s face. _Maybe I’m the reason._

Somehow, Evan’s word hit him right in the chest while he keeps wondering if that jerk is right with what he is saying.

_If I was the reason, she felt so miserable… maybe I should stay away from her. Not because this jerk wants me to… but because it’s better for Betty._

“If I need to stay on my side of the line, you should do it as well”, Archie answers with a bit too much spite in his words. He is angry… angry because he would love to punch Evan in the face, angry because he got reminded of the night in New York, angry because all of these mixed feelings inside him are affiliated to Betty Cooper. _I should have known that this would turn into a mess._

“You want me to stay away from her? Fine. I’ll fix that car on my own”, Archie finally says while he takes a last step in Evan’s direction. They are now only two feet apart so he is sure he can see the anger inside his eyes. “But I hope for you that you’ll be good to her. You’re gonna make her happy, you understand?”

“Don’t worry”. There is something dark flickering on Evan’s face. “I have been doing that for the past two years”.

If this conversation would take place four years earlier, Archie is sure he would have knocked the hell out of that guy in front of him. But he is older now, he knows better than he did before. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t anger burning in his chest and he is about to say something to Evan that would probably cross his beloved line once again, but in that exact moment the front door behind him opens and he can hear Luke’s voice calling for him.

“Hey… what’s going on?”

Archie keeps starring at Evan in front of him, while the eyes of the dark-haired guy flicker up to Luke. “Nothing”.

“Evan was just about to leave”, Archie adds with a firm tone, the look on his face saying more than a hundred words.

“Right…”. They stare at each other one last time before Evan adds. “Think about my words, Andrews”.

There is only one right answer to a sentence like that. “Get the hell out of my garden”.

Evan turns around after throwing once last glance to both guys and Archie watches him leave until his car is out of sight.

When he turns around, Luke seems partly amused, partly alarmed. “What the hell was that all about?”

Archie takes a deep breath while he shakes his head. “When Sarah asked me if I like this guy two weeks ago… what was my answer?”

“You said you like him”.

A laugh breaks over Archie’s lips. “Well… that was a lie”.

Archie ends up telling Sarah, Jerry and Luke everything about his confrontation with Evan during lunch the same day.

And to his surprised, the reactions from each of his three friends ends up being different from each other.

Luke is the one who seems to have the angriest reaction of them all. “What an idiot. I can’t believe you didn’t punch this loser”.

Sarah seems to have a slightly other opinion about that. “Well… I’m not saying that what Evan did is great. But I think he has a point…”.

“And what point exactly?”, is Luke’s reply before Archie is even able to answer.

“He is her boyfriend. He is just trying to look out for her”. Sarah only shrugs with her shoulders. “But I still don’t like him.”

Jerry is the one who doesn’t have an opinion at all. “Don’t look at me… I have no idea what you should think about that”.

Sarah only rolls with her eyes while they all turn back to Archie. “So… what are you gonna do now?”

“What do you mean?” Archie seems a bit confused by the question.

Luke crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Well, are you gonna stay away from her or not?”

Archie’s eyes fall to the table in front of him. “I guess so… it’s probably for the best, right?”

“But… is that what you want?”, Sarah asks softly.

_Yeah… is that what I want?_

_Yes, because I don’t want to cause any problems._

_No, because I care about Betty._

_Yes, because I’m leaving in three months anyway._

_No, because I don’t want to stay away from her._

There is a battle inside Archie that hasn’t been fought in a long, long time but the more he thinks about the drama he caused in Betty’s life, the clearer it gets which side will win at the end.

“It doesn’t matter what I want”, is all he finally says. “I’ll keep my distance…I’ll have to leave for the service in three months anyway”.

He looks at the three faces of his best friends and no one seems to find the right words to answer. They all know he is speaking the truth.

They all will be leaving at the end of August… but Archie knows by the look on their faces that none of them is ready to leave Riverdale behind.

**•••**

Avoiding Betty might seem like an easy thing to do… but it turns out it’s not as simple as Archie thought. The first five days after his conversation with Evan, he is mostly practicing with Sarah and Jerry on their new covers Veronica wants them to perform at their gigs in the Lodge-Hotel and it’s easy to stay focused on music for a few days.

But then he get’s a text message from Betty on the fifth day.

 _“Tomorrow same time same place to fix the car?”_ **_– Betty Cooper, 3:29pm_ **

He stares at the message for solid five minutes before he brings himself to answer.

 _“Sorry, I’ll be out of town tomorrow. I’ll call you when I’m working on it again”_ **_– Archie Andrews, 3:34pm_ **

_“Okay_ 😊 _”_ ** _– Betty Cooper, 3:35pm_**

He hates himself for letting her down and he hates it even more that under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have to lie, and he would have answered with an emoji as well. But he isn’t 20 anymore, and the things have changed.

The next few days go by a bit slower than usual, mostly because the weather is having some kind of low and it keeps raining for a whole week. It’s the first time Archie sits down in his old room to write his own lyrics. Carry the torch still remains to be his last written song and he tries his best to come up with something new during the first two weeks of June.

But somehow, nothing he writes is good. He ends up tearing the papers he wrote on into tiny pieces, throwing them into the trash can before he sits down to rehears one of the covers, they have to perform next week.

One week later, Betty sends him a text message again.

 _“Tomorrow 3pm?”_ **_– Betty Cooper, 10:21am_ **

He doesn’t respond for several hours.

 _“No, we have a band rehearsal”_ **_– Archie Andrews, 02:59pm_ **

She doesn’t answer this time and he wonders if she realizes that he is trying to keep his distance.

Sometimes he thinks about the conversation he had with Evan, and the things he found out about Betty’s health right after New York. He doesn’t sleep in those nights he is thinking about that, but he tries to keep in mind that at least he is doing the right thing now.

**•••**

In the third week of June, Archie takes another route for his morning run and he passes by an old building he hasn’t visited in years. The _El Royale Boxclub._

Archie can’t help but to stand still for a moment to take a look at the freshly painted walls and the new designed entry sign at the front door. The moment he can hear some noises from the inside of the building, he makes the decision to take a look at the inside.

It seems like the whole building went through some kind of make over because the furnishing and equipment inside look brand new and elegant. Even the huge boxing ring the middle of the room looks better than ever before.

Archie looks down to watch a few kids taking some training lesson at some basic boxing rules and he can’t help but smile at the happiness that is painted on each of their faces.

He used to love this place… and now other people get to love it as well.

Archie is about to leave when he almost stumbles over a man who is walking through the front door. “Hi, sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt this training…”, he starts but the man who has already grey hairs on the of of his head is only smiling back at him.

“Don’t worry, visitors are welcomed here”. They both turn to the few children down in the boxing ring when Archie’s curiosity takes over. “Can I ask you a question? What happened to this place? The last time I was here, it didn’t look this…”.

“… this elegant?”, the old man adds with a smile. “I bet that was before the Lodge’s bought the building”.

Archie’s smile fades away as the image of Hiram Lodge crosses his mind. “Hiram Lodge?”

“Oh no! His daughter, of course! And a young man called Reginald Mantle”, the man replies. “They bought it last year and now they use it as an exercise and work-out room for the Hotel guests. It was a brilliant idea because without the financial support the old _El Royale_ wouldn’t have made it much longer and the Hotel is just two streets away”.

Surprise is written all over Archie’s face. “That’s… fantastic”. _I can’t believe Reggie never mentioned this._

“It is”, the old man says. “Maybe you can join our work-out session sometime”.

A laugh comes over Archie’s lips as his eyes flicker through the room once again. “Maybe”.

**•••**

When the third Saturday in June arrives, Archie doesn’t get another text message from Betty.

_Maybe she realized that distance is the right thing._

_Or maybe Evan finally told her that he doesn’t want us to fix a car together._

And Archie should feel relieved about it… but the truth is, he doesn’t. It’s been three weeks since he saw Betty the last time, it’s been three weeks since he saw her dancing through his living room, and it’s been three weeks since he drove her car to the Hotel.

He knows he shouldn’t think about her… but she is stuck in his mind when he spends the whole weekend in his garage, nonstop working on the old car. It takes him hours to finally get the new engine in the right position and it takes him a whole day to exchange the brakes.

On Sunday Luke volunteers to help him paint the car and on Monday morning they are finally finished.

 _It’s done;_ Archie thinks when he stands in front of the car that now doesn’t look that old anymore.

He should feel happy, but he knows who should be standing right next to him in that moment.

It’s like he can hear her voice lingering the back of his head when he stares at the new black color on the limousine and he can feel the guilt laying on his shoulders like a curse.

_Maybe it was wrong to agree to Evan’s wish just like that._

But three weeks ago, Archie was convinced that keeping Betty at a distance would be better for everyone involved. Today, he isn’t so sure about that anymore.

_It’s not like there are still feelings involved… right?_

**•••**

One week later is a special Saturday.

It’s the last Saturday in June, it’s exactly two weeks before the big wedding day, and it’s also the 29th June… it is Betty’s 24th birthday.

The sun wakes Archie up around eight in the morning and he stares out of the window for a moment, appreciating the beautiful weather after several days of rain. _Of course it’s a sunny day… Betty’s birthdays had always the best weather._

„Will you call her?“, Sarah asks at the kitchen table during breakfast an hour later and he can feel Luke and Jerry starring at him as well. „Or will you send her a Happy Birthday text message?“

He groans when he throws his spoon into his empty bowl, obviously not knowing a good answer to that question. „I don’t know… I have no damn idea“.

„I bet this Evan guy would want you to not gratulate her at all“, Jerry comments a bit dry and Archie throws a glare at him.

„I still have a whole day to decide…“, he thinks out loud. „I’ll probably send her a message later… maybe in an hour“.

But one hour turns into two hours and after that follow three and four.

And without really noticing it, the sun is already starting to set when Luke, Sarah Jerry and Archie are on their way to the Hotel for their weekly Saturday-Night-Performance.

It’s 7:34 pm when Archie finally has the guts to pull his phone out of his jeans and sends a Birthday message to a girl he used to sing Happy Birthday to almost every single year during their childhood. Funny how times change.

 _„Happy Birthday Betty!“ -_ **_Archie Andrews, 7:35pm_ **

Maybe he should write something else, maybe he should write more than that. But the truth is, Archie doesn’t really know what to do anymore regarding the topic Betty Cooper so he puts the phone away before he can think twice about it.

Vortex’s performance starts exactly at 8 o’clock, like every Saturday and it’s a magical moment when the lights in the room start to dim a little and the few people sitting at the dark bar or the small groups who are talking to each other at the many, round tables start to fade into a grey fog.

Archie looks at Sarah to his left and waits for her signal before he turns around and nods softly to Jerry’s direction. And just like that, the first cover starts.

It feels amazing for Archie to stand on a stage on a weekly basis and the fact that he gets to do it with three of his best friends is a detail that adds something comfortable and familiar to the whole situation.

He hums into the microphone, underlining Sarah’s solo, totally getting lost in the music and the feeling of joy.

And then he opens his eyes again and without planning on it, he looks directly at the door at the other side of the room, witnessing how a young couple steps into the hall.

At first, he isn’t sure if he is seeing clear.

But as soon as the woman and the man take a few steps further into the big room, Archie knows that only one woman on this planet has such beautiful, golden-shiny hair.

That’s Betty and Evan.

He tears his eyes away, turns his head to Sarah beside him who is already starring back at him with wide eyes. _Oh, she has already seen them as well. So it’s not just imagination._

The song ends and they immediately start a new one, one of Sarah’s original songs and he takes a step back from the microphone, concentrates on his fingers on the guitar while Sarah sings something about love and happiness and how great it is to be alive.

After a minute he dares to lock back up again and he needs a moment until he finds Betty and Evan at one of the tables at the end of the room. They seem to have a conversation and for a second, Betty looks up and her eyes meet Archie’s.

It feels like his heat skips a bit and he hates that he is feeling this nervous.

He turns his eyes away, looks at Sarah beside him, concentrates on her voice over the microphone. All of it only lasts a minute before his eyes fall back into the small crowd and when he dares to look in Betty’s direction again, she is already back in her conversation with Evan.

 _What a great birthday;_ Archie thinks ironically. _Taking a drink at the Hotel you’re living in 24/7… probably Evan’s idea… well at least the music is good._

Concentrating on the music helps Archie to focus on the important things and just like that, minute after minute passes by.

After 45 minutes, the 15 minute breaks starts and the lights of the stage darken softly.

It only takes a few seconds until Sarah is standing at Archie’s side. „Betty is here“, she hushes.

„I know“. He puts the guitar over his head and lays it down on the chair beside him.

„And Evan as well!“

He rolls his eyes while he is letting out a deep breath. „Didn’t miss it“.

„So… you want to go over there and wish her Happy Birthday in person?“, the brunette girl asks and he could laugh over the fact that Sarah often reminds him of a young teenage-girl.

His eyes move away from Sarah and search the room for Betty and Evan’s table again. „I don’t know… don’t want to interrupt their little date“.

„Hm…“, Sarah seems to understand with a soft nod. „So… you want a drink?“

A honest smile breaks over his face. „Yes“.

And so, he follows the small woman down the stage through the middle way along the many tables, while he is more than glad that Evan and Betty’s table is at the exact opposite of the room.

They both order a beer right before Luke shows up at the bar as well. He is leaning against the counter with a smirk. „Hey did you guys see Betty…“.

„ _Yes_ , Luke“. Archie can’t hide the slight annoyance in his voice. „Could we please talk about something else?“

„That will be a bit difficult“, Sarah suddenly adds.

Archie grabs his beer from the counter. „Why?“

„Because she is walking over here right now“.

He turns around and follows Sarah’s eyes just in time to see Betty walking though the room, past the many tables and he can’t even react properly before she is already standing a few feet away from him.

Her eyes meet his and he knows she is here to talk to him.

„Damn… good luck, dude“, he can hear Luke whisper behind him and before he even notices it, Luke and Sarah are gone.

Archie looks away from Betty and turns to the bar beside him, but he can see her walking into his direction in the corner of his eyes.

When she is standing right beside him, he is finally able to say something. „Hey, Birthday-girl… enjoying the music?“

The silence from her side catches him a bit off guard and he turns in her direction, not even able to take a look at her red dress or her black high heels before she answers with a judging tone. „You’re avoiding me“, she states.

The intensity in the green of her eyes is breathtaking and the closeness to her a bit overwhelming so he has to take a deep breath before he can answer anything. „Betty…“.

„Don’t even try it Archie, I know I’m right… you’ve been avoiding me for a whole month“.

 _Fuck_. He searches for something to say but she is faster. „Listen, I’m sorry about the things I said to you in your kitchen last month, okay? I drank way too much wine and I guess I just started to say things I didn’t really mean…“.

Regret is appearing on her face and that’s something he didn’t expect in this moment. _She looks guilty. She thinks I’m avoiding her because of the stuff she said to me while she was drunk._

That’s the moment he realizes that Evan never told her anything about the conversation he had with him in his front yard. _What an idiot._

Archie stares to the ground for a moment while Betty stays silent and he desperately tries the right way to act. „I’m sorry I didn’t have much time the last few weekends…“.

„It’s more than that“, Betty interrupts him with a bit of anger in her voice. She looks around while he can watch how her fingers cling onto the little bag in her hands. „You never called for a new car-fixing meeting, then this Happy Birthday text… you…“. Her eyes fall shut for a moment and a little worry line appears right between her eyebrows. „Maybe I’m overacting… maybe I’m just seeing things… but tell me…“. She opens her eyes again, probably so she can see his reaction to her words. „… is the damn car still broken?“

 _Fuck._ There is nervousness in her eyes the moment he realizes that he can’t and he won’t lie to her again. So he confesses with a dejected voice: „…No“.

„I knew it! You fixed the car on your own“. This time there is real anger in her voice and all he wants to do is wipe that sad look from her pretty face.

Betty bites on her lips and he can’t tear his eyes away from the cherry color on her mouth until she speaks again. „Why? Why did you… I mean I understand that this isn’t exactly a good situation, we haven’t seen each other in years. But I thought you would be grown-up enough to tell me when something bothers you. This car was _our_ project Archie, not _yours_!“

He is screaming on the inside. If the things were different, he would love to tell her the truth. _I wanted to do this with you, Betty._

But he keeps reminding himself that keeping his distance from the blonde woman in front of him is still the best thing he can do. „I know that this was our project“, he answers. „But I don’t think it’s very smart if we keep spending so much time together“.

Her mouth falls a bit open at his answer. „Okay…“. She looks like she just got hit by a truck while she searches for words. „And why… why did you change your mind? I mean… everything was fine before“.

_I didn’t change my mind… I just realizes that this between us isn’t healthy._

But of course he can’t answer something like that. He takes a deep breath and runs his fingers through his hair. „God, Betty… isn’t it better this way? The car is fixed, everything is done and you get to spent more time with Evan“.

The second he speaks these words out loud, he can already see on the way she looks up to him that she realizes the meaning behind his words. She turns her head around a bit, her eyes finding Evan at the other side of the table.

When she turns back around to Archie, her facial expression is completely changed. There is still anger painted in her eyes… but somehow it seems like that anger isn’t directed against him this time.

„Its because of Evan, isn’t it?“, she simply asks slowly while his fingers loop around the beer inside his hand.

„Betty, it’s not…“.

„Tell me“, she interrupts him. „Did he… did he say something to you?“

Flashbacks to the discussion in his front yard crash down on Archie but all he can see is the face of Betty right in front of his eyes.

He could lie. He could say that Evan has nothing to do with it. He could turn around and leave.

But he doesn’t get to do any of these things, because Betty can already read the answer on his pained face.

„He _did_ speak to you“, she whispers with wide eyes. _Yes, he did and apparently he didn’t speak to you about any of it._

„Betty…“, he starts but she raises her hand to shut him up.

And in the exact same moment the lights on the stage light up again and he turns his head to Sarah and Jerry who are already standing behind their microphones. The break is over.

„Go“, Betty says beside him and his eyes fall back down on her face. He watches how she straightens her dress with running her hands over it before she brushes her own hair behind her ears.

„Betty, can we talk about this?“, he pleads before he puts the beer back on the counter beside him.

„Maybe… I don’t know“. She seems unsure, but all above she seems hurt. „But I need to talk to someone else first…“.

He follows her eyes to the table where Evan is still sitting at and before he can say anything, Betty turns around and is already making her way back through the room.

Maybe he should follow her.

Maybe he should talk to her now.

But he just stands there and watches her walk away, his eyes lingering on her golden hair and her red dress.

Betty looks hurt.

Hurt by Evan’s choice of not telling her about their conversation.

Hurt by Archie’s choice to agree to Evan’s plan just like that.

Hurt because people made an agreement without asking about her own opinion.

Right now Archie doesn’t have the time to talk to her about all of it.

But the moment he turns back to the stage he makes a promise to himself.

He won’t ever listen to Evan Campbell ever again.

He won’t ever fix a car on his own.

_And all above, he won’t ever disappoint Betty Cooper again._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, I'm SO tired right now, you guys have no idea... I'll answer the comments for the previous chapter tomorrow (a HUGE thank you to the people who left feedback last time!!! 🖤)
> 
> I didn't re-read this chapter is I'm sorry if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes! 
> 
> Evan and Archie had a little discussion... and now Betty knows about it.  
> All I can say is that the next chapter will be from Betty's POV and she isn't happy about the current events at all... 
> 
> I wish you all a great day! xx


	9. The Last Time

****

**"This is the last time you tell me I’ve got it wrong.**

**This is the last time I say it’s been you all along.**

**This is the last time I let you in my door.**

**This is the last time; I won’t hurt you anymore."**

Betty Cooper’s personality has always been a complicated composition of grace, kindness, cleverness, and an extraordinary talent to solve every mystery around her. There isn’t much anyone could hide from the astute, blonde woman and usually the people around her don’t even try it in the first place.

In June 2025 however, two young men try to master the impossible.

Evan Campbell talks to the ex-lover of his girlfriend without telling her about it.

And Archie Andrews decides that hiding some old feelings of his past and simultaneously avoiding causing any more problems than he already did would be the right way to spend his last few months in his hometown.

Riverdale is a place that hides many different secrets and lies. But there is one thing all of these sins have in common – every single one of them gets brough to light sooner or later.

Maybe Betty should know in the moment she wakes up in her Hotel bed after a night filled with dancing waltz and drinking wine that something feels a bit off.

Maybe because Evan isn’t lying beside her like he usually does.

Maybe because she still remembers every single detail from the night before and her head seems to explode when the pictures of her sitting in a car with Archie by her side is appearing in her mind.

_“You really want to know if I regret some mistakes of my past?”_

_“I do. Every single day”._

His voice is still lingering inside her head when she buries her head under one of the soft pillows beside her. Questions rush through her mind but one of them seems to stand out the most.

_Which mistake did he mean?_

To be honest, there are a lot of possibilities. But Betty isn’t stupid, nor is she blind.

_Of course, he means something that has to do with our breakup… or he wouldn’t have looked this hurt._

But there isn’t much more to think about that. There isn’t anything left to discuss about that, there isn’t some mystery to solve anymore. Even if Archie regrets the decision he made years ago… it doesn’t change anything. Because just like his decision, their past is gone as well and they are both living in the present.

All they can do now is concentrate on a future which they pray to be brighter than the shadowy past behind them.

When Evan returns to the Hotel room around midday, Betty is still lying in bed, her eyes slowly opening when the dark-haired guy sits down on the mattress beside her.

His hands are on her cheek when he speaks. “Hey… how are you feeling?”

She groans into the sheets, the headache getting worse with every second. “I feel like my head will explode any second”.

“I’ll go and get you some water”.

Betty looks after Evan when he stands up again, curiosity painted on her face while she asks: “Where have you been?”

He seems to freeze for a short moment before he grabs one water bottle from the little kitchen area. “Nowhere… I was just driving around to get some ideas what we could do today. It’s sunny outside”.

“Wow… you’ve never done that before”. She sits up when he reaches her the water and she enjoys the feeling of the cold liquid running down her throat.

He smiles when he takes her hand, squeezing her fingers tightly. “I realizes it’s time I focus a bit more on our relationship… work has been so overwhelming the last few months that I kind of lost sight of the important things”.

Surprise is written on Betty’s face. “That’s so sweet. But why the sudden change of mind?”

“Because I love you”, is his simple reply.

He sounds like that’s the most obvious answer in the world and she smiles lightly when she takes another sip of the water, closing her eyes while doing so, completely ignoring the weird feeling of suspiciousness lying in her bones.

**•••**

Over the next few days, Evan seems to implement his plan about spending more time with Betty than before. They go out to eat every evening and he always asks her how her day at work has been. It’s a pleasant change and Betty enjoys the time they are around each other.

But nevertheless, she is kind of looking forward to the next Saturday where she can get a little break from her relationship which tends to feel like a full-time job during the last few days.

Her anticipation shatters when she texts Archie on Friday afternoon.

 _“Tomorrow same time same place to fix the car?”_ **_– Betty Cooper, 3,29pm_ **

_“Sorry, I’ll be out of town tomorrow. I’ll call you when I’m working on it again”_ **_– Archie Andrews,_ ** _3:24pm_

 _“Okay_ 😊 _”_ ** _– Betty Cooper, 3:35pm_**

She puts her phone back into her pocket, ignoring the feeling of disappointment inside her chest.

**•••**

One week later, Betty texts Archie while she is sitting in her office at the FBI station.

 _“Tomorrow 3pm?”_ **_– Betty Cooper, 10:21am_ **

She knows that he wanted to call when he is planning on working on the car again, but the wedding is one month away and Betty is starting to feel a bit nervous about the whole thing.

It takes hours until she finally gets an answer.

 _“No, we have a band rehearsal”_ **_– Archie Andrews, 02:59pm_ **

She groans when she throws her phone back into her bag and puts on a fake smile when a colleague steps into the room and puts a pile of papers on her desk.

_Great._

**•••**

Another week later, Betty decides to stay silent and doesn’t write another text message to Archie. It’s a devastating feeling to get ignored or pushed to the side and with every day that passes by, Betty starts to wonder more and more if she did or said something wrong.

“You haven’t been fixing that car with Archie for some weeks now”, Evan says while they drive out of town to get some food at a Chinese restaurant Evan likes so much.

“Yeah…”, she says while starring out the window. “I feel like he is ignoring me… he said he wanted to call me, but he didn’t do it”.

Evan stays silent for a moment before he answers. “Maybe it’s not important enough to him.”

She doesn’t say anything to that… maybe because she fears that his words are true.

**•••**

One week later it’s Betty’s 24. Birthday.

Betty isn’t one of these girls who claim to hate their birthdays but she isn’t one who is celebrating like crazy as well. She used to be different about that. Back when she was younger, her birthday used to be her favorite day in the year. Now it turned into a normal day she isn’t really looking forward to. The times for the big surprise parties are over now.

“It’s just a normal day”, she says to Evan when she gets out of bed that morning. “Nothing special”.

“Forget it, we will celebrate your birthday”, he replies immediately. “I have something planned for tonight”.

She raises her eyebrows, starring at him partly nervous, partly excited. “Really? What”.

“I won’t tell you… it’s nothing huge, so don’t worry. But you’ll need a pretty dress”.

There is a smile on his face and she just rolls her eyes. “ _Perfect_ ”.

**•••**

The sun is already setting when Betty is standing in front of the huge mirror in her Hotel apartment, her eyes stuck on her reflection, a young woman who is wearing a new, red dress with golden waves falling over her bare shoulders.

The moment she steps into her black heels, she can hear her phone ring from the table she left it on.

 _“Happy Birthday Betty!”_ **_– Archie Andrews, 7:35pm_ **

She stares at the message for a solid minute while she realizes that this is the first interaction she had with Archie since the night he drove her home in her own car. There is something so unpersonal and distant about the way he has been acting around her since then and this behavior mirrors in his text message as well.

_Something changed… he is avoiding me._

She doesn’t answer to his message and simply smiles at Evan when he comes out of the bathroom a few minutes later with freshly styled hair and a nice-looking suit on his body. “You’re ready?”

She nods while she puts her phone into her black, little purse. “Will you finally tell me where exactly we’re going?”

He opens the door for her while grabbing the keys. “You’ll find out in three minutes”.

They walk through the hallway and he takes her hand in the elevator, smiling at their reflection in the metallic, golden walls around them. Evan has always been an attentive man who put a lot of effort in their relationship, and since a few days he seems to take things to a whole other level.

There is something joyful in the way he guides her out of the elevator a minute later and softly pulls her to one of the many corridors on the ground floor.

When they reach a very familiar-looking, big door Betty realizes where they’re about to go. “We’ll eat at the Hotel Lounge?”, she asks surprised while she remembers the last time she stood before this wooden door.

“We haven’t been here before and the Lady at the reception told me that they have a very good evening program with live music and everything”, Evan answers with a proud smile. “I know it’s nothing outstanding, but I thought you would like it”.

“I love it”, she admits with a widening smile on her face.

 _This gives me the chance to talk to Archie in person;_ she adds in her mind. There have been a few questions on her mind for the last month she is dying to ask him and now she finally has a good excuse to speak to him in person.

The moment her and Evan step through the door, Vortex is already playing on the stage at the end of the room. The music is reaching her ears and she can’t help but smile proudly when she spots Sarah on the stage.

And then she turns to Evan and notices the shocked look on his face.

“What the hell…”, he breathes out and she follows his eyes to the stage, taking a look at Archie who is playing his guitar and humming into the microphone from time to time. “What is _he_ doing up there?!”

“Wait… you didn’t know that Vortex is Archie’s band?” Even though she tries to hide it, a smile is creeping on Betty’s face.

“I had no idea”, he admits and something about the look on his face feels a bit strange. “We can leave and go somewhere else, if you want. I mean… you said Archie is ignoring you, maybe it’s weird for you to be here…”.

“No, not at all”, she replies casually. “I don’t have any problems with him. Let us stay”.

Evan doesn’t seem very happy with her decision, but Betty can’t quite tell why.

They sit down at one of the tables at the end of the room and during a short conversation with Evan about the menu and drink options, her eyes meet Archie’s for the first time this evening.

For a short moment he keeps looking at her from the distance, his fingers moving over the guitar in light moves before he turns his face away.

 _Something is wrong;_ she realizes. _This can’t be normal._

The next thirty minutes go by with Evan constantly trying to tie Betty into a conversation. After twenty minutes he realizes that she isn’t even really listening to his words.

“Betty… is something wrong?” He seems a bit worried but also angered.

Her eyes are fixed on the stage when she answers. “I’ll speak to Archie today. I want to know why he is avoiding me”.

“God, _no_ ”. Evan seems to be more alarmed than he should be. “I bet he doesn’t even want to talk to you, he obviously has his reasons, he…”.

And in that moment, the lights on the stage turn dark and Betty can see how Archie and Sarah make their way to the bar at the end of the room.

“… I don’t care”, is Betty’s answer to Evan’s words. “I want to know why he didn’t call me. I’ll go speak to him…”.

She stands up and Evan does the same. “I’ll come with you”.

“No, I need to go alone. This is my problem, not yours”, she explains with a soft voice and something about the way he looks at her makes her wonder why he is acting this weird. “It won’t take long… I’ll be right back”.

She starts walking before he can say anything else and when she turns around one last time, she can see that he is sitting down again, his face weirdly turned into a grimace. _One problem after another._

A deep breath comes over her lips when she walks through the room towards the bar where Archie is ordering something to drink. Sarah and Luke seem to notice her before him because they walk away before Betty even get’s the chance to talk to one of them. _That’s weird._

When she finally stops beside Archie, he takes his beer bottle from the counter, his face not even turned in her direction. “Hey, Birthday-girl… enjoying the music?”

She decides to get right to the point. “You’re avoiding me”.

After a few seconds he turns around to her and she has to admit that it’s weird to stand right in front of him after a whole month of distance. “Betty…”.

“Don’t even try it Archie, I know I’m right… you’ve been avoiding me for a whole month”. And that’s the moment her insecurities rise to the surface. “Listen, I’m sorry about the things I said to you in your kitchen last month, okay? I drank way too much wine and I guess I just started to say things I didn’t really mean”.

His eyes drift to the ground while she speaks and he looks like he is actually sorry about everything. “I’m sorry I didn’t have much time the last few weekends”.

“It’s more than that. You never called for a new car-fixing meeting, then this Happy Birthday text… you… maybe I’m overacting… maybe I’m just seeing things… but tell me…“. She looks up to him, not really ready for his answer. „… is the damn car still broken?“

That’s the first time he dares to look her in the eyes and she knows the answer before he can even open his mouth. “No”.

“I knew it! You fixed the car on you own”. Anger swings in her words. „Why? Why did you… I mean I understand that this isn’t exactly a good situation, we haven’t seen each other in years. But I thought you would be grown-up enough to tell me when something bothers you. This car was our project Archie, not yours!“

There is a distant look in his eyes when he answers. “I know this was our project. But I don’t think it’s very smart if we keep spending so much time together”.

And this time his words hit her hard and it’s hard for her to find the right words to say. “Okay… and why… why did you change your mind? I mean… everything was fine before”.

The Saturdays she spent with him weren’t that many and the memories of the few moments they had together fly through her mind like she is searching for a reason that will justify his words.

“God, Betty… isn’t it better this way? The car is fixed, everything is done and you get to spent more time with Evan”.

The moment he says Evan’s name there is a hint of regret on Archie’s face and she can clearly hear the hesitation in his voice. The look on his face, paired with Evan’s weird behavior earlier slowly turns into a realization inside Betty’s head.

“It’s because of Evan, isn’t it?” Her voice is a bit shaky.

“Betty, it’s not…”.

“Tell me! Did he… did he say something to you?” She can feel her heartbeat in her whole body while she waits for an answer.

But he doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t need to. She can see it in the way he keeps looking at her.

“He did speak to you”, she states slowly.

“Betty…”. In the moment he wants to say something the lights on the stage turn on again.

“Go”, she demands while she stares up to the stage.

“Betty, can we talk about this?” He is pleading but she can’t even look at him right now.

“Maybe… I don’t know… I need to talk to someone else first…”. She turns around and leaves him standing there without bothering to say goodbye.

There are many emotions inside her body in this moment, but there is one that seems to stand out the most. Betrayal.

Evan seems to be waiting for her when she returns to the table, but she doesn’t even say a word. She knows damn well that he can see her walking past him and just like she predicted he jumps up from his chair to follow her outside of the room.

Archie’s singing voice over the microphone is the last thing she hears when she steps into the hallway, right before Evan appears behind her. The door closes behind them and there is nothing more than the voice of her boyfriend. “Hey, Betty… wait, what happened. Talk to me!”

An ironic laugh comes over her lips while she keeps walking through the long Hotel corridor. “Oh, trust me Evan, you don’t really want me to talk to you right now”.

“Betty stop, let me explain”, he says and _of course_ he already knows why she is mad.

“How could you?!” Her voice echoes along the walls when she whirls around, and he stops right in front of her. Disappointment and anger shoots through her veins like poison and all she wants to do is yell at him. “You spoke to him? You talked to him behind my back?!”

“Okay, I know how you feel, but let me just explain why…”.

“You don’t know how I feel!”, she almost shouts back and there is shock painted in his eyes while he stares back at her. “Tell me… what did you say to him. And when? I want to know!”

His lips turn into a fine line and he stares to the floor for a moment.

“Evan, tell me!”

“Alright, fine!”, he says back a little louder than before, his eyes back on her face now. “It was the day after you came home drunk… the day you drank wine at his place”.

Her mind returns to the night one month ago and her heart sinks to her feet. “That’s why you have been acting so weird the next day… what the hell were you thinking?!”

“I wanted him to stay away from you, for god’s sake. You were always coming home late every time you went to his place and the time you came home drunk you acted all weird and looked so confused… I just wanted to protect you”. He seems angry but she isn’t sure who exactly the anger is turned to.

“Protect me from what?” Her voice gets a bit shriller every time she speaks.

“From him”, he explains loudly. “Can’t you see it Betty? He is a bad influence on you… he already was it four years ago. And you don’t even notice it. I had to do something”.

She takes a step further into his direction, her eyes never leaving his own. “You could have talked to me about it. That is something between you and me, not Archie. You didn’t have the right to decide for me behind my back. You knew exactly why he was avoiding me… he was avoiding me because of you! And you just sat there and watched how I felt bad about it _for weeks_!”

All of it feels too surreal to understand all of it within a few minutes and Betty’s head keeps spinning all the time. “Archie has always been my friend, Evan. I told you about our friendship You knew that he was important to me… how could you take that away from me?”

An ironic smile appears on Evan’s lips. “Are you really asking me this?” He shakes his head in amusement. “You’re really standing here, asking me why I wanted to keep you away from the guy that broke your heart in New York years ago”.

His words hit a wound he didn’t knew still existed, but she keeps on fighting for her opinion. “That was years ago, Evan! Things are different today; Archie and I are friends again!”

“Oh, right… you are such great _friends_ ”, he says sarcastically.

It stays silent for a moment where Betty just stares at the weird expression on Evan’s face.

“You’re jealous”, she realizes.

“I’m not jealous”, he states and something about the tone in his voice seems honest. “I’m just scared that you two will get too close again”.

Anger rises in her body while she understands what he is trying to say. “Evan… you’re my boyfriend. We’ve been together for two years now. You should be trusting me by now!”

And then he says something that hits her right in the heart.

“Yeah? Well, how long have you been together with this Jughead guy before you cheated on him with Archie?”

For a moment she actually believes her heart stops beating while she just stares at him with wide eyes.

He comes a step closer with furry painted in the shadows of his eyes. “Wait, let me remember correctly… you’ve been in a relationship with Jughead for three years, right? And yet, you cheated on him with your beloved _best-friend_ ”.

“I told you this in private”. Her voice is just a whisper. “I told you this, because I felt like you would understand… and now you’re using this against me!?” She clearly remembers the days back in New Haven when she told Evan about her past in private moments during the first year of their relationship… and suddenly it all seems to break down on her.

She looks up to him and he seems to notice the pure disappointment and sadness in her eyes.

“Betty…”.

“Save it”, she almost spites out while her feet turn around and she makes her way out of the long corridor.

“Wait, I didn’t mean it like that…”. he calls and she knows he is running after her.

“I know exactly how you mean it”, she replies with a cold voice and she is glad that she is way too angry to cry right now.

When they reach the entrance hall and pass the elevators, he catches up with her and stops her by reaching for her arm, but she pulls away before he can even touch her skin.

“Where are you going?”, he asks while she turns to the front door of the Hotel, confusion and desperation showing on his face.

“Away from you”, she replies without real emotion in her voice. “I can’t even look at you right now”.

Her heels clack on the marble-floor when she steps through the front door of the Hotel.

Evan doesn’t seem to follow her… and she is more than glad about it.

It’s already dark outside when she walks over the parking area and when she finally finds her car and manages to sit down on the driver seat, one single tear runs down her cheek. But this isn’t a tear of sadness. It’s a tear of anger.

Betty keeps sitting there in silent for a long time, her eyes starring into the night without really perceiving something.

_He lied to me. Evan lied to me a whole month._

It seems surreal to think about the fight she just had with him and it’s even weirder to realize that in two years of their relationship, they never even once had a real fight like this one. They never even had a misunderstanding or had different opinions on something. Betty and Evan are so much alike, that there was never a reason to argue in the first place.

But tonight, they finally found their kryptonite. Turns out it is the exact same kryptonite that destroyed Betty’s last relationship as well.

It’s Archie Andrews.

When the clock strikes 9pm she finally starts the engine and decides that she won’t be able to sleep in the same bed as Evan tonight.

She is already half way through the town when she realizes that her heart is leading her home. The radio stays silent the entire car ride and she concentrated on the street lights around her when she finally reaches her mom’s house.

The sky is pitch black when she walks through the front yard, shivering in her dress while she knocks on the door.

Surprise is written on FP’s face when he opens the front door. „Hi Betty… Alice your daughter is here!“ He turns back to her after shouting through the living room, a light smile on his face. „Come in… and Happy Birthday, of course“.

It’s always a bit strange to return to his house now that Betty isn’t living here anymore but there is also a warm and familiar feeling when she steps into the living room and her mother welcomes her with a tight hug. „Hi sweetie… what’s going on? Is everything alright?“

They look at each other the moment they let go and Betty knows the answer is written on her face like an open book.

„You know what, I’ll leave you two alone“, FP says, who has been standing in the room in an awkward way. He throws a warm smile into Alice’s direction before he makes his way to the back of the house, disappearing into the parents bedroom.

„Alright, now tell me“, Alice says again while both women sit down on the couch, her eyes on Betty’s face the entire time.

A part of Betty doesn’t even want to tell her mother about the fight with Evan. But she knows that Alice wouldn’t let her stay here tonight without some details about the reason.

„I… kind of had a fight with Evan“, she confesses, her eyes drifting down to where her hands are clinging to the red fabric of her dress. „We had some sort of… disagreement“.

„That doesn’t sound like you and Evan at all“, Alice replies a bit surprised. „What was is about?“

The heated conversation with Evan from a few minutes ago reappears in Betty’s mind while anger rushes through her veins once again. She takes a deep breath before she answers. „Mom… I don’t really want to talk about it right now“.Her eyes search for her mothers. „But… can I stay here for tonight?“

A moment of silence passes by while her mother seems to stare down right into her soul. When she finally answers, her voice is warm. „Of course, Betty. Your room is still like you left it… Jellybean is sleeping in Polly’s old room, so nothing was changed in yours“.

Knowing that her room is still looking like she left for college is somehow calming. „Thank you mom“.

„Nothing to thank about, honey“. Alice eyes are on her when Betty stands up. „But Betty… talk to me when you want to, okay? I’ll always listen to your problems“.

There is something so comforting about the way Alice is looking up to her, that Betty can’t hide the light smile on her face. „I know, mom.“

She turns around before she changes her mind about talking with her about the fight with Evan and she hurries up the well-known stairs, heading straight to her old room.

 _It’s almost funny how nothing really changed here;_ Betty thinks when she turns on the light and closes the door behind her. _The same old color, the same old bed… even the same old pictures on the wall._

Her steps are a bit shaky when she walks over to her old bed and sits down to pull the heels off from her feet.

The mattress is so soft, that she decides to lean back on the bed and her eyes are closed when her head sinks into the soft pillows.

_I miss this place. I miss this room. I miss the person I was when I slept in this bed._

Or maybe, she is just missing the feeling she had back when she was happy.

Because tonight, she isn’t happy at all.

Betty’s head keeps spinning every time her thoughts turn back to Evan and there is the feeling of betrayal lingering in her body when she remembers what did… or the reason why he did it.

It wasn’t right that he used her past as an argument in their fight and it hurts to know that he is using her old mistakes to defend his own.

Restlessness caused by all the whirling thoughts and doubts inside her head are nearly tearing Betty apart, so she jumps up from her bed to clear her mindand distract herself. Her eyes find her old closet on the other side of the room and she makes the decision to change into something more comfortable than this red dress.

Luckily she left a few clothes here when she went to New Haven and she grabs the first few pieces of clothing she can find, a simple pink shirt and some dark pajama shorts.

It’s funny how she feels like she is returning a tiny bit to herself once the dress falls to the floor and she slips into her old clothes. And without thinking too much about it, she turns to her old dressing table, grabs one tissue and wipes the red lipstick from her mouth.

 _There I am;_ she thinks while her green eyes catch her reflection in the mirror.

There is a melancholic sadness sitting tight in her chest and Betty needs to close her eyes for a moment to concentrate on her steady breathing.

She counts to ten in her mind, tries to shut out the depressing feelings inside her.

And the moment she opens her eyes again and stares into the mirror on the wall, she can see a light through the window behind her.

It feels bittersweet to remember all the times Betty saw the light from Archie’s bedroom in her own room and it always felt calming to know that he was always just one window away.

Tonight Betty feels like she is drowning in a sea of overwhelming feelings and the light coming from Archie’s room seems to be the only light-tower in sight.

She turns around before she thinks too much about it and her steps are still a bit shaky when she slowly walks over to the window on the other side of the room.

Archie’s silhouette is clearly visible the moment she stops right in front of the glass and he seems to turn his head in her direction just in time to look her right in the eyes.

He looks tired and a bit defeated but there is worry and curiosity shimmering in his eyes when he looks back to her.

That’s the moment Betty realizes that many of the questions inside her head can be answered by the man on the other side of the glass. _I want to talk to him._

So she grabs her phone from the bed beside her, feeling Archie’s eyes on her face while she sends a message.

 _„Can I see the car?“ -_ **_Betty Cooper, 10:37pm_ **

She watches how he pulls his phone out of his jeans pocket as he stares at the display for solid 30 seconds before she gets an answer.

„ _Garage in 1 minute“ -_ ** _Archie Andrews, 10:37pm_**

There is an inscrutable emotion on his face when they look at each other one last time before they turn around at the exact same moment.

Betty slips into a pair of her old, pink slippers and leaves her room feeling like her old teenager-self while she sneaks down the stairs.

Jellybean, FP and her mom are nowhere to be seen when she leaves the house through the front door.

The night air is fresh against her skin when she makes her way to the house next door, not really knowing what to expect or what to ask. All she knows is that she wants to clear her mind a little bit by letting Archie explain why he even agreed to follow Evan’s plan in the first place.

At first she wants to walk up the stairs and knock but then she can see the door of the garage opening to her left.

There is a cone of light shining out of the small room and Betty meets Archie’s eyes when she walks through the front yard.

He doesn’t say anything when she passes by him to walk through the door and she doesn’t bother to say hello either when she finally stops in front of the freshly-painted car.

She can hear the door close behind her and when he walks up to her to stop one step away, she keeps her eyes drawn on the car.

„It looks good“. There isn’t a hint of bitterness in her words like she had originally planned, because it’s the truth. _The car looks really good._

There is a moment of silence between them before he replies. „I hope Reggie and Veronica like it“.

„I’m sure they will“, is all she can say to that before the both of them return to silence once again.

But nothing can be unspoken forever and with every second that passes by, the elephant in the room seems to get bigger. Betty takes a deep breath before she finally turns to Archie beside her, her eyebrows furrowed, her armscrossed in front of her chest. But before she can even say one word, Archie speaks first. „I’m sorry about everything, Betty. I know I should have talked to you instead of listening to Evan just like that“.

„Why did you listen to him in the first place?“, she replies. „What exactly did he say to you?“

There is something unexplainable flickering in his eyes in this moment while Betty tries to read his thoughts on the way he keeps looking at her.

„He wanted me to keep some distance from you because he thought I have a bad influence on you…“, he starts. „He didn’t like it that you came home drunk after that one night at my place and… I guess I kind of understood where he was coming. I mean… I’m your ex-boyfriend. I don’t know if I would like it if my girlfriend would be spending much time with her ex“.

Betty didn’t expect his answer to be this calm and logical. When she was having an argument with Evan a few hours before she would have loved to rip his head off… but hearing these explanations from Archie’s point of view is making everything a bit more logical.

„Are you alright?“, Archie asks after a while, obviously worried about her silence. „I saw you and Evan leave right after our conversation in the Hotel…“. Archie probably knows by the look on her face that her and Evan had a fight about the current topic, but he doesn’t add anything else and is simply waiting for her reply.

She closes her eyes for a moment, not quite sure what to answer to that. „Please… don’t ask me about him right now“, she pleads with a partly broken, partly ironic voice. Her eyes flicker to the car again, sorrow spreading in her body.

Another long moment of silence goes by until Archie speaks again, his voice a bit slower than before. „Do you want to go inside?“

His question seems so unexpected that she looks back up to him, noticing the apologizing look on his face. „I mean… I’m sorry for avoiding you, Betty. I really am… I just… I don’t want you to be sad like this.“

There is so much honesty in his words that is mirroring on his face as well. „It’s your birthday today… and it’s partly my fault that this day hasn’t been as good as you deserve. So please… let me make it up to you“.

She probably should say no.

But somehow Archie always seems to find the right words to say, even though they shouldn’t be spoken out loud.

She is still mad at Evan… but a huge part is still mad at Archie as well. But she doesn’t want to face another argument right now. She knows if she would speak the words in her mind out loud, their conversation would lead to another fight and she isn’t ready to face that right now.

Betty has been through some very difficult hours by now… and all she wants to do is feel a bit better, even if it’s just to light up her mood.

So, she bows her head a little to the side, a questioning look on her face. „Do you have something to eat…? I didn’t get the chance to eat something in the Hotel and I’m kind of starving right now, so…“.

A small smile appears on Archie’s face and he shakes his head a little bit as if he can’t believe she is trying to make some jokes right now. „Yeah… I think I have something left in the fridge somewhere“.

He keeps looking at her a bit longer, probably to connive himself that she is sure about it. When she doesn’t say anything else he turns to the door that leads directly into the inside of his house. „Okay… then let’s go and get you something to eat“.

It turns out that the Archie’s fridge is almost empty so he ends up making some pancakes while he curses Luke for eating all day long.

„Where are Luke, Sarah and Jerry by the way?“, Betty asks while she sits down at the table behind Archie, her arms wrapped around her legs that are pulled up onto the chair.

„At the Hotel bar“, Archie answers over the sound of the loud hissing pan. „We usually stay there a while after our Saturday performances to drink something“.

„And why didn’t you stay there as well?“

Her eyes are on his back while he seems to stare down at the pan for a moment. „Didn’t really feel like it tonight“.

She doesn’t say something to that and is letting a comfortable silence spread around them.

And three minutes later Archie turns around and reaches her a plate with delicious-looking pancakes. „Here you go… happy birthday“.

„Thank you“. The smile on her face is a bit weak but real and when she finally takes a bite of the pancakes, she can’t help but to let out a joyful hum. It’s been years since she ate Archie’s pancakes the last time and it’s funny how the taste of them takes her back to their senior year and the mornings she sat on this exact chair.

„Does it taste good?“, Archie asks when he sits down on the other side of the table, watching how she takes another bite. „Luke says they taste like crap“.

„Luke is a jerk. They taste fantastic“.

„Good to know“. She looks at him when he answers, realizing that he is still wearing the black shirt he has to wear on stage.

„You guys sounded amazing tonight“, she confesses while her eyes flicker back to the pancakes in front of her. „Sarah’s voice sounds fantastic“.

„Yeah, she’s a real professional“, Archie smiles lightly.

Betty decides to ask a question that has been lingering on her tongue since she watched Vortex a few hours before. „Will you ever sing your own songs again? Or will you sing a cover on your own? I know your background voice is great… but will you ever take the lead voice again like you did during High School?“

The pause from his side is forcing her to look up to him. „Maybe… I don’t know for sure. Writing songs isn’t easy for me right now and Sarah’s loves singing her original songs“.

Betty nods, because what else is there left to say?

It takes her ten minutes to eat the pancakes Archie made for her and when she is finally finished she doesn’t really know what to say or what to do. The fight with Evan is still lingering in the back of her mind and his words are stuck in her head like a curse.

_„Oh, right… you are such great friends.“_

_„I’m just scared that you two will get too close again.“_

_„How long have you been together with this Jughead guy before you cheated on him with Archie?”_

To say these words hurt would be the understatement of the year.

It was straight up cruel from Evan to say something like that…

… but Betty can’t prevent herself from asking is he is right with what he said.

_Yes, Archie and I have a long and complicated past… but we’re friends now._

She lifts her eyes to watch how Archie reaches out and carries her empty plate to the sink. 

_Archie is a good guy… and Evan doesn’t have the right to judge him like this._

She watches Archie’s movement when he turns back around to her and she gets caught in his eyes for a moment.

_Maybe I should leave now._

„Thank you for the pancakes“, she says with a small smile on her lips. „But I should probably go now. It’s getting kind of late… I don’t want to worry my mother“.

There is a grin on his face. „Some things never change, huh?“

„Probably not“, she admits and she walks past him into the small hallway. Memories of the wine and waltz evening four weeks ago return to her and she can’t help but to take a look into the living room.

„Oh, wow. The shelves are almost empty now“. There is surprise in her words when she steps into the living room, her eyes stuck on the empty cupboards and the filled boxes that are distributed in the whole room. „It didn’t look like that last month“.

„I still need to get the whole house empty before I’ll go back to the Navy in September“, Archie explains and he leans against the doorframe when Betty takes a look at all the stuff in the boxes around her.

„Right… the Navy“, she replies a bit lost in her thoughts. „Do you know where exactly you will be stationed?“

„We’ll get the information in August“. He doesn’t look too happy while he answers. „It sucks but I’ll have to clean the house either way“.

She doesn’t say anything to that while her hands brush over one opened boxes to her right. Some of the cartons are filled with decoration, others are filled with some old documents and divided pieces of furniture.

„Aren’t you scared that they’ll send you somewhere dangerous?“, she asks with her eyes still on one of the many boxes.

He stays silent for a moment. „Maybe I should feel scared… but to be honest… I don’t really care“.

Betty wants to answer something to his unsettling answer but right when she is about to open her mouth, her eyes find something in one of the boxes that she knows all too well.

It’s an old picture of her and Archie.

She reaches out and picks the picture up, only to find many more of them right underneath. A picture of Archie sitting in a car and her standing on the street beside him, a picture of them when they were drinking their first beer, a picture of them as kids sitting on the steps on his front porch.

A smile is on Betty’s lips… until her eyes drift down and she can read the words _„throw away“_ written on the side of the box she took them out.

It takes her a minute until she realizes that the pictures in her hands are about to get thrown away.

She turns around to Archie a bit slower than usual, the pictures still in her hands. „Why would you throw these away?“

This is one of the few times she actually looks him right in the eyes and that makes it pretty easy to see the shock and helplessness on his face. „I… won’t throw them away“.

„Really? Because I just picked them out of the box with _throw away_ written on it“, she replies a bit perplex.

Archie was never a good liar and they both know it. „God Betty, I have so many pictures of you and me somewhere in my old stuff, I won’t need every single one of these photos“.

His answer hurts more than he obviously intended.

„But… these are memories“, she answers a bit thrown off. „Each of these pictures tells a story… each photo stands for another memory from out childhood“.

Archie seems to realize that his excuse won’t work. He keeps leaning against the doorframe but the look on his face is shattering a bit. „Alright, fine. I’ll keep them… I wanted to get them out of this carton anyway“.

„But how did they end up in there in the first place?“, Betty asks.

She can’t really explain where this sudden curiosity is coming from but something about finding these pictures here is hitting her at a weak spot.

„Betty, do we really need to talk about this?“, Archie asks and her reply comes fast and certain.

„Yes, we do“. Maybe it’s the anger that is still lingering inside her whole body, but Betty can’t really control her emotions right now. „Tell me why you wanted to get rid of our pictures? I mean sure, we haven’t been a couple for four years now, but these are memories from our childhood and-“

„Okay, you really want to know?“, he interrupts her but this time his voice is a bit louder than before. „Alright. I threw them into this box the day I found out that you’re in a relationship with Evan“.

This answer hits her right in the face and Betty doesn’t really know how to react to that confession. „You wanted to get rid of them because of me and Evan?“

„Is that so hard to understand?“, he replies with many suppressed emotions in his voice. „Of course I don’t want to keep every single picture of my ex-girlfriend who is now happy with a new guy“.

Every new answer from him seems to hit her a bit unprepared. „You said you are happy for me and Evan“.

This time he laughs about her reply. „Of course I said that… but that was back at the beginning. Now that I really got to know him… I’m not so sure anymore“.

„Evan is a good person!“ Betty doesn’t know where exactly the urge to defend her boyfriend is coming right now but deep down she knows that this is just the anger she buried about this whole situation for too long which is now slowly coming to the surface.

This conversation isn’t just about the pictures and they both seem to know it. This is about Archie avoiding Betty for a whole month.

„Right, he is such a _good_ guy.“ Archie’s reply sounds sarcastic and the way he keeps starring at her while he speaks is driving her crazy second by second. „Isn’t he the one who did things behind your back? Isn’t he the one who ruined your birthday?“

Evan seems to be a topic which is making Archie more angry than anything else and Betty takes a step forward, holding up the pictures in her hand. „Yes, but Evan is not the one who wants to throw our old pictures away like they mean nothing to him!“

„The pictures mean something to me“, he tries to say in a calm way but Betty can clearly hear the anger beneath his words.

„Then why would you want to throw them away?!“

„Because I don’t want to get reminded of you anymore!“ This time Archie’s voice echoes through the whole room and he pushes himself off the doorway while he speaks.

„I don’t want to look at these pictures anymore, alright? Because… why should I?! To get reminded of what a great time we had? To remember how you were the most important person to me back then?!“

He shakes his head with a painful smile on his face. „Do you think I want to get reminded about the fact that you’re in love with someone new? And do you think it’s easy for me to see you with somebody else?“

His words aren’t fair and judging the look on his face Archie already knows that he is revealing far too many feelings right now.

Anger and sadness is painted on Betty’s face as she takes another step forward to make sure he can hear her answer properly. „You were the one who ended our relationship, remember?! _You_ were the one who broke up with _me_!“

„Yes, because I wanted to give you a better life, not because I stopped loving you!“

It takes a moment until Betty realizes what exactly Archie just said. Her eyes are on him the entire time while she watches how his heavy breathing is making his whole chest move up and down, how he stares at her with wide eyes, obviously regretting the words he just threw at her like that.

Four years have passed by since Betty saw Archie raw and emotional like this and her hand with the pictures between her fingers sinks down slowly while she looks back up to him, her voice drier than ever before. „Do you still love me?“

He tears his eyes away from her, his hands run through his hair while he searches for the right words to say. „Betty…“.

„Do you still love me?“, she repeats, her voice a bit shriller than before.

His eyes fall back down to her face while desperation hides behind his words. „Would it change anything?“

„That’s not an answer“.

„Alright, then let me ask you something“, he replies and the moment he takes one last step in her direction, her fingers cling onto the pictures in her hands. „Do _you_ still love _me_?“

Her heart seems to beat so fast that she can feel it in her whole body while she looks straight into his dark eyes. „I…“.

There isn’t enough strength in her voice to say something and to be honest, Betty doesn’t even know what she would answer in the first place.

„Okay, then a simpler question“, Archie adds and he is so close to her that she can feel his breath on her skin. „… are you happy with Evan?“

She doesn’t answer, she just concentrates on the warm feeling spreading in every part of her body while her voice seems to get stuck inside her throat. Her head keeps spinning while she looks up to him, her voice just a whisper when she finally brings something over her lips.

„Yes“. They both know her answer doesn’t sound convincing.

Archie seems tense and relaxed at once while he leans a tiny bit closer and she can breath in his well-known and foremost familiar scent before he speaks again. „So, you don’t feel anything right now?“

For a moment Betty is afraid he can hear how her heart is beating inside her chest and her eyes linger on his face, finally seeing him this close again.

She should step away, she should get enough distance between him and her, bot her body seems to be frozen in place.

„Do you feel something?“ Archie repeats his question a bit lower than before and her eyes fall to his lips while he speaks his words.

She closes her eyes for a short moment, concentrating on her own heartbeat before she finally whispers the exact words he just asked her seconds ago. „Even if I would feel something… _would it change anything?_ “

When she opens her eyes again it feels like she can look right into his soul. She can see the pain, the excitement, the hurt and the realization that her answer is justified all in one single moment.

He doesn’t have an answer and she hates it how it almost breaks her heart. „That’s what I thought“.

And with that she takes a step back before she can do something stupid and she tears herself away from the warmth and electricity the closeness to his body brings her.

Under other circumstances she would have closed the distance between them, she would have thrown herself into his arms without caring about anything else in this world.

But Betty knows the pain of losing Archie and she knows that whatever this attraction between them is, she will have to let go of him again in the end.

So, she chooses the simpler way, she chooses the easy way.

She chooses the one way, that makes the most sense.

„I’ll better leave now“, she mumbles and he seems to be frozen in place when she steps aside.

But the moment she walks past him, his hand reaches for her and his finger cling to her arm in a light way.

She ignores the goosebumps all over her skin when she looks up to meet his eyes in the middle.

„You still have feelings for me“, he says and he speaks those words with such a conviction that she knows she doesn’t even need to try to lie to him anymore.

„And you still have feelings for me“, she simply answers and she is sure he can see the sadness but also the anger in her expression. „That’s why you agreed to stay away from me this last month. That’s why you wanted to throw the pictures away“.

After a long moment he finally nods to her words, his fingers still wrapped around her arm, her skin still burning where he touches her.

When Archie says something his voice is deep and honest, almost breaking while he speaks. „I’m sorry, Betty… I’m sorry for everything“.

She knows by the way he looks at her, that he means so much more than he is saying out loud.

Her voice is terribly weak when she answers. „I’m sorry too“.

„What are you sorry for?“

For a moment she gets lost in his dark eyes. „I’m sorry that our relationship is still complicated… even after all these years. And I’m sorry that it doesn’t change anything. Because in the end, you’re still leaving for the Navy and I’m still in a relationship with Evan. And we both know these things won’t change“.

Archie looks like he wants to answer something to her words but he shuts his mouth the second she pulls her arm out of his grip. She reaches him the pictures she was holding in her hand the entire time and he takes them without a word, his eyes falling on the photos while she turns to the door.

„I guess I see you at the wedding“. Her last words sound emotionless because she doesn’t have a clue how she has to act right now.

He looks back up when she speaks and she turns away before the warmth and longing in his eyes can reach her.

And so, Betty leaves the house without looking back, but she can feel his eyes on her when she steps through the front door.

She doesn’t even cry when she get’s back home because the conversation she just had with Archie feels surreal.

When she finally reaches her old bedroom and she closes the door behind her, her heart is still beating like crazy against her chest.

_What the hell just happened?_

Her head keeps spinning in circles while she thinks about the past few minutes, Archie’s words lingering in her mind the entire time.

_This can’t be true._

She walks through the room and before she knows what she is doing, she grabs the curtains and pulls them in front of the window, shielding herself from the house next door.

_Something like that can’t happen again._

Her heartbeat gets a bit slower when she stares at the closed curtains but Archie’s voice inside her head won't leave her alone.

Betty lies awake in this night, trying helplessly to shut the boy next door out of her head.

But every time she closes her eyes, he is right there and she can hear his voice and she can feel his closeness like no time has passed by since their break up four years ago.

Betty Cooper hates how much power Archie Andrews still holds in her heart.

But she knows everything will go back to normal once she returns to New York with Evan and Archie will leave for his service.

But the moment she finally finds sleep she ends up dreaming about war zones and guns and the blurry image of a soldier with red hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I have you're all alright and you're having a good day :)  
> And I hope you also liked this chapter! Evan and Betty are in a complicated situation right now, but Betty and Archie's dynamic is even more complicated.  
> Thinks are starting to become a bit heavy for Archie and Betty now, it's obvious that there are still feelings between them and now they both know it. They're walking on a minefield from now on, not really sure if they need to take a step back or move forward.  
> I'm looking forward to show you the next chapter, it will be Part 1 of 2 wedding chapters. 
> 
> I wish you all a lovely day! Stay healthy xx


	10. Exile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!!  
> I have a few songs that you can listen to while reading this chapter (partly because they fit to the chapter itself, partly because they'll play a role in the chapter as well).  
> I can't help falling in love with you - Bely Basarte  
> Say you won't let go - James Arthur  
> Perfect - Ed Sheehan  
> Go your own way - Lissie
> 
> I hope you enjoy the chapter! 🖤

****

**I can see you standin', honey**

**With his arms around your body**

**Laughin' but the joke's not funny at all**

**I think I've seen this film before**

**And I didn't like the ending**

**You're not my homeland anymore**

**So what am I defendin' now?**

**You were my town Now I'm in exile seein' you out**

**I think I've seen this film before**

Sometimes you have to ask questions that seem to tear you down while speaking them out loud. And sometimes you have to give answers that come over your lips like a secret curse that no-one was supposed to hear.

And sometimes… sometimes words you were holding in for far too long seem to hit a boiling point and you just _speak_. Just like Archie Andrews when he is facing Betty Cooper in his living room late at night.

He doesn’t even know how they even ended up here in the first place.

All he knows is that he couldn’t stop worrying about Betty after watching her and Evan leave the Hotel lounge right after his conversation with her and after one hour standing on stage, pretending that everything is alright and playing guitar and humming into the microphone is the most special thing for him in the world, Archie is more than glad when the lights finally dim and he is free to go.

He declines the invitation for a few drinks at the Hotel bar with Luke, Sarah and Jerry and explains that he doesn’t really feel like staying long tonight.

The conversation with Betty is still on his mind when he is driving home and when is finally alone in the big house, it feels like he can still hear her judging voice and see the shocked look on her face.

_No-one deserves such a birthday. Especially not Betty Cooper._

That’s the though on his mind when he steps into his old bedroom and when he can see a cone of light coming from the room next door, he slowly realizes that Betty’s day might be even more worse than he imagined.

He just knows that it’s not a good sign to see her standing in her old clothes in her bedroom, her tired eyes starring back at him through the glass and when she texts him a minute later if she can see the car, it’s clear that he won’t ever refuse her another wish.

Sadness is painted on her face when she appears in his garage three minutes later, only dressed in some old pajama clothes and some pink slippers. She looks younger tonight, she looks like the girl he used to see through their bedroom windows… and Archie can’t help but to feel nostalgic about it.

They begin a conversation about the car, avoiding the obvious topic in the room for a while. But the moment he asks her about Evan, she finally seems to open up a bit.

And even though Archie explains why he even followed Evan’s plan and why he kept his distance from her the last four weeks, the sadness on her shadowed face doesn’t disappear.

_I’m here for you Betty. I always have been._

It seems like his promise from High School still stands when he invites her in and it seems like a miracle when she actually follows him inside the house.

The only thing he can cook and also the only thing he has at home that night are the ingredients for pancakes and he is thanking god in silence that he spent more than a few mornings these last few weeks, making Luke pancakes and for once in his life he knows what he is doing.

It’s a bit weird to have Betty in his kitchen and it’s even weirder when she eats her pancakes in silence and he just looks at the way her tired eyes are starring down at the plate in front of her and he can’t help but to wonder what exactly is going on inside her head.

When she asks him if he ever intends to sing the lead voice in Vortex again she partly seems genuinely interested in his answer but it seems like she is trying to light up the mood as well by drawing the dry conversation onto a not so complicated topic.

„Maybe… I don’t know for sure. Writing songs isn’t easy for me right now and Sarah’s loves singing her original songs“.

The blonde woman only nods and he takes her empty plate before she can ask anything else regarding singing or writing songs. It’s not really his favorite topic to talk about at the moment, considering that he once used to be a great writer and a fabulous singer but right now it seems like his inspiration is lost in the past.

Betty thanks him for the pancakes while she walks through the small stairwell before she steps into the living room to her right.

And that’s when the disaster starts.

Their conversation stays neutral for a while and she asks him about the filled cartons on the floor and he answers in a casual way, leaning against the doorframe, his eyes on Betty the entire time.

And everything could be so great. Betty could leave his house a bit happier than she was before and he would go to bed thinking that he made her day a tiny bit better with his actions. But of course, things wouldn’t be that easy.

It feels like destiny and karma ally to knock him down in the moment Betty finds their old pictures in one of the boxes on the floor. And just like that, the world seems to stop spinning.

He tries his best to calm her down with words that aren’t even true. „God Betty, I have so many pictures of you and me somewhere in my old stuff, I won’t need every single one of these photos“.

„But these are memories!“ She starts to list him several reasons why he is doing the most evil thing in this world while he gives everything to convince her of the opposite.

And everything is going fine… until Betty starts to claim what a perfect and good guy Evan Campbell is. That and the look on her face while she speaks put the final nail into Archie’s coffin.

„Right, he is such a _good guy._ Isn’t he the one who did things behind your back? Isn’t he the one who ruined your birthday?“

„Yes, but Evan is not the one who wants to throw our old pictures away like they mean nothing to him!“

„The pictures mean something to me“, he tries to say in a calm way but Betty can clearly hear the anger beneath his words.

„Then why would you want to throw them away?!“

„Because I don’t want to get reminded of you anymore!“ This time Archie’s voice echoes through the whole room and he pushes himself off the doorway while he speaks, the anger shooting through every vein inside his body. „I don’t want to look at these pictures anymore, alright? Because… why should I?! To get reminded of what a great time we had? To remember how you were the most important person to me back then?!“

He shakes his head with a painful smile on his face. „Do you think I want to get reminded about the fact that you’re in love with someone new? And do you think it’s easy for me to see you with somebody else?“

The words are over his lips before he can really think about them but it’s making him mad to see her here in his own house trying to make him feel miserable for getting rid of pictures that seem to tear his heart out every time he accidentally takes a look at them.

But this new and mature version of Betty Cooper is untamed and doesn’t seem to put up with his anger just like that and before he knows it, she is walking up to him with fire in her eyes. „You were the one who ended our relationship, remember?! You were the one who broke up with me!“ 

The emotions and painful accusation in her voice hits him right in the face and he can’t keep the following words in any longer. „Yes, because I wanted to give you a better life, not because I stopped loving you!“

He could rip his tongue out the moment he realizes what he said and judging the look on Betty’s face she is already understanding the meaning of his stupid words. „Do you still love me?“

His hands run through his hair while he tears his eyes away from her. „Betty…“.

„Do you still love me?“ _God, when did she became so insistent?_

His eyes fall back down to her face and the aching inside his heart is a silent answer inside his chest. „Would it change anything?“

„That’s not an answer“.

He could laugh over her directness but she seems to forget that he isn’t he only one with secrets written all over his face. It’s not like he can ignore the heat in her voice when she yells at him like that because even thought years passed by since he last saw her like that… he knows when her emotions are real. And this right here… this feels more than real.

„Alright, then let me ask you something“. The words are over his lips before he can change his mind and he takes a step in her direction, watches how her eyes get a bit bigger within seconds. „Do _you_ still love _me_?“

Her eyes are starring right back up to him and he can feel the tension in her body even though they are still one arm length apart.

Betty doesn’t really find the right words to say. „I…“.

That’s when he takes another step forward and he is so close to her face that he can see the little blue sprinkles in the green of her eyes. „Okay, then a simpler question…. Are you happy with Evan?“

This question has been lying on his tongue for quite a long time now and it feels a bit refreshing to finally speak these words out loud.

Common Betty… tell me the truth.

But the blonde girl just keeps standing there like her whole body is frozen and maybe it should feel exhausting to hold her stare like this, but Archie got a lot of practice over the years he spent with her.

When she finally gives him an answer, she doesn’t sound convincing at all. „Yes“.

Archie can’t help but to lean in a tiny bit closer so he can almost take in the scent of her well-known vanilla shampoo and even though he knows he shouldn’t ask any of these questions at all, he is risking it one last time. „So, you don’t feel anything right now?“

Her silence seems to speak louder than every answer possible and now that he is standing so close to her, he can see the hesitation in her wide eyes. „Do you feel something?“, he repeats, hoping instantly that she will be brave enough to answer him this time.

„Even if I would feel something… _would it change anything_?“ When she finally answers her voice is clear but just as heartbroken as the look on her face. She is using his own words against him now, beating him in his own game… and he isn’t even sorry for that. Because he got his answer.

„That’s what I thought“, she adds after a few seconds without an answer coming over his lips and she takes a step back, creates some reasonable distance between them. „I’ll better leave now“.

That’s not what Archie had in mind when he asked her if she would want to go inside with him for a while and now that the evening turned into a disaster even more he tries desperately to make something out of the time he has left with the girl next door.

So he reaches for her arm when she walks past him, holding her back with a soft but firm grip. It takes him a moment to realize that is has been years since he felt her soft skin underneath his fingertips but he tries to concentrate on the words inside his mind. „You still have feelings for me“. His words aren’t even a question anymore… _he knows_.

When she turns her face to him the look in her eyes hits him like a train truck. „And you still have feelings for me… that’s why you agreed to stay away from me this last month. That’s why you wanted to throw the pictures away“.

Archie was always able to read the thoughts written on Betty’s face but he forgot that she could do the same thing as well.

And here they are, standing so close yet so far away, holding on to a past that is slipping through their hands once again.

„I’m sorry Betty… I’m sorry for everything“. His words have a lot of different meanings but she seems to understand them all.

„I’m sorry too“.

„What are _you_ sorry for?“

She holds in for a moment before she speaks. „I’m sorry that our relationship is still complicated, even after all these years. And I’m sorry that it doesn’t change anything. Because in the end, you’re still leaving for the Navy and I’m still in a relationship with Evan. And we both know these things won’t change“. It’s moments like this that remind Archie that Betty got more mature in every way possible over the last four years.

She hands him the pictures she was holding in her hands the entire conversation and he stares at them when she rips his arm away from his grip. „I guess I see you at the wedding“. Her last words seem almost emotionless and he lifts his head just in time to watch her leave through the front door.

There is always something melancholic and heartbreaking when Betty leaves but this time it feels like she is tearing open an old wound he believed was healed for a long time now.

He now knows that she still has feelings for him… and she knows that he still has feelings for her. But she is right… none of that will matter in the end.

And when he turns his face back to the pictures in his hands he can clearly feel the aching inside his chest when his eyes fall on the smile of a beautiful blonde girl.

He used to have it all. And now he has to deal with the consequences his own mistakes created a long time ago.

Betty’s question from the wine evening has been stuck inside his head for a while now. But even after four weeks, he still didn’t find an answer.

Would he do it again? Would he leave her again if he could decide again?

The truth is, Archie doesn’t know what he would do if he could go back in time.

He only knows that he is still thinking about Betty more than he should… and that he will do anything in his power to make sure she is getting the life she always deserved.

When Luke, Sarah and Jerry return a few hours later from their cocktail evening at the Hotel bar, Archie is still sitting in the living room, the pictures from him and Betty spread on the table to his side, his tired eyes starring towards some old sitcom which is playing on the TV.

„Dude… what happened?“ Luke is the first one who notices his weird behavior and the four of them end up staying awake for a hour longer than planned while Archie tells them about what happened earlier that night.

Sarah seems to be more optimistic than the others. „Why are you making such a bad face, Archie?! Now you know that she still feels something for you!“

An ironic smile appears in the corner of his mouth while Archie’s eyes meet Sarah’s joyful expression. „Yeah… great. And what am I supposed to do with that?“ He stares at the pictures in front of him again, total helplessness spreading inside his body. „It doesn’t change anything. The reason I broke up with her years ago is still valid. I’m still leaving for the service… and she is in a relationship with someone else. That’s how it was supposed to be… that’s what I wanted for her, that’s what I had in mind when I left her. I wanted her to move on into a good life without me by her side. I wanted her to be happy“.

A long moment of silence stretches around the little group of friends and neither of them dares to say something before Jerry finally opens his mouth. „But is she happy?“

His question is simple but the answer to it isn’t easy at all. Archie’s eyes fall back to the pictures of Betty and him on the table and while he looks at her wide smile and joyful expression he silently prays that the only possible answer to Jerry’s question is yes.

Time goes by in a weird speed after that night in his living room. It feels strange to think about Betty when he wakes up the next morning and when he risks a look out of the window, the curtains on her side are closed… and they stay like this for two days until Betty leaves the house of her mother again. At least that’s what Archie believes once he notices Betty’s missing car on the street and he can watch how Alice opens Betty’s bedroom window to let in some fresh air.

Archie knows he messed up… even though there isn’t really anything to feel sorry for.

Now that he knows Betty still has some sort of feelings for him too, he doesn’t really know what to do with that information. Somehow it feels like everything changed… and nothing changed at all.

So, he decides that it’s probably for the better if he leaves her and Evan alone… for good, this time.

He spends the following days with distracting himself with different kind of things that usually help him to get his head empty. He works out, he practices his guitar skills and he spends time with his three friends.

But after more than a week, things start to get a bit boring… and that brings his thoughts back to Betty. He tries not to think think about it… but he can’t help but to ask himself if things between her and Evan are back to normal.

But he shakes his head every time he catches himself with thinking about Betty too much.

That’s why it’s easy for him to look forward to the time Laurie Sanders is finally announcing her visit a few days later. It’s been months since the red-haired guy last saw the pretty, dark-blonde girl and he is more than glad that he asked her to be his plus-one for Veronica and Reggie’s wedding. Even though he will stand on the stage for a good amount of time, it will be a welcome distraction to have someone like Laurie by his side.

Two weeks later and one day before the wedding, Archie is standing on the sidewalk beside his house, watching how Laurie parks her car on the side of the street, her smile wide when she gives him a tight hug. “To be honest, Archie… this place smells like a farm”.

He smiles when he takes her black trolley case and she holds her hand in front of her nose. She looks like that kind of person who doesn’t really fit into a small town like Riverdale… but to be honest, Veronica Lodge didn’t seem like that too when she first arrived here and now she is the proud owner of the biggest Hotel in town.

The scent of Laurie’s expensive perfume lingers in the air when she follows him inside the house and it takes him back to the many sleepless nights he spent in her apartment back in Maryland.

He remembers the touch of her hands; he remembers the way her body felt beside his own… and all of these things return to him in that same night when Laurie sleeps beside him in his old bed.

There is tiny voice in the back inside his head who is asking him why he is searching for the touch of a woman who doesn’t even own his heart. But his answer is louder than the doubts, because why shouldn’t he sleep with Laurie?

He missed her warmth; he missed her touch. Or maybe… maybe he just missed the feeling of closeness to another person. That’s probably the reason why no matter how much Laurie gives to him, it somehow never feels like it’s enough. Archie feels like he is searching for something that doesn’t really exist while he simply ignores the fact that a part of him knows damn well what he is longing for and where exactly he can find it. But the answers to his prayers are out of reach and so is the person who embodies them.

But Laurie is here, Laurie is beautiful. And Laurie doesn’t care that the emotions between them never reach a level of something that could be called love. It’s pure physical attraction… and none of them seems to care about that.

When Archie wakes up the next morning all he can feel is Laurie’s arm around his waist and the sunrays that shine through the window.

 _This will be a good day;_ he says in silence while his eyes stare at the ceiling above him.

And five hours later, he is still convinced that everything will be alright, even though Sarah and Laurie are fighting in the living room about who gets to take a shower first and when Luke suggests with an smirk on his face that they just should take a shower together, Sarah throws a pillow at him and the coke he was holding in his hands spills all over his shirt. “Shut the hell up, Luke! Or I’ll go to the wedding alone and you can stay here all night by yourself!”

“Fine by me! At least I don’t have to do some stupid dancing again!”

It would be an understatement to say that living under one roof for almost two months now is slowly getting on everyone’s nerves.

“I can’t wait to get rid of you guys for at least one night”, Archie admits with honesty in his voice.

“Same… remind me to thank Veronica for giving each of the guests a room at the Hotel tonight”, Luke adds while he gets up from his seat on the couch and walks past the two girls who are still standing in the middle of the room. “I’ll resolve your little dispute, girls. I’ll take the first shower. End of the discussion”. And with that he leaves the room and disappears into the bathroom upstairs while Sarah just glares at the towel in her hands. “I hate this idiot”.

Archie can’t hide the ironic smile on his lips. “I think he _hates_ you too, Sarah”.

The brunette girl just rolls her eyes before she turns to Jerry to discuss something about the songs they are going to sing later.

“Will you sing too, tonight?”, Laurie asks him while he sits down next to her on the couch.

“I have to”, he admits. “Reggie and Veronica want me to. They talked to me after our performance last weekend and they said they want to hear a male voice singing as well, apart from the few songs they’ll play over some DJ mix”.

“Oh, that’s exciting”, Laurie smiles. “They’re having a DJ as well? That means I get to dance with you tonight”.

He fights a smile on his lips while she gives him a short kiss. _Dancing was never his passion._

Three hours later Archie, Laurie, Jerry, Sarah and Luke are all dressed in their best clothes, the three guys wearing simple, dark suits, Laurie wrapped in a simple, red dress and Sarah wearing an orange-colored one.

“Alright, Luke and I will drive the limousine to Veronica and you guys will go to the Hotel to get the stage ready”, Archie says while they all leave through the front door. “It’s 2:17pm now, that means we have an hour and a half to go until the ceremony starts”.

He turns to Laurie and she winks at him while she follows Jerry and Sarah to her car at the side of street. “I’ll see you there”.

Archie is glad that he has Laurie as his date. Not because she is looking like a goddess in that red dress… he is glad because she is pushing the images of Betty Cooper out of his head. “I’ll see you there”.

When he drives the limousine with Luke on the passenger seat, the July-sun is transforming the neighborhood of Riverdale into a _horrible-looking fairytale landscape_ … at least that’s how Luke’s call the view when he stares out of the window with a pissed look on his face.

“Hey Luke… I don’t know why you’re so pissed off, but if it has something to do with Sarah…”.

“Why should it?”, the blonde guy replies with a cool tone.

“Common… I didn’t only share a house with you two during the last two months, I have also been your best friend during the last five years.” Archie can’t hide the slight smile on his lips. “Don’t tell me you don’t like her”.

Luke stays silent for a moment before he answers. “It’s just… she’s driving me crazy, Archie. And I don’t know if that’s even a good thing.”

“I would say that’s a pretty good thing”.

He can almost hear how Luke rolls his eyes. “You’re one to speak… I don’t see you acting all angry or weird around Laurie”.

This time it’s Archie who stays silent while his obvious reply is handing in the air like the hot summer wind. “You know that this between me and Laurie isn’t something real.”

“I know man, I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking…”, Luke answers a bit slower than before. “I know the situation with Betty is hard”.

“That’s why I’m telling you to finally confess to Sarah how you feel”, Archie replies honestly. “Luke, I know it’s scary. But I know how it feels like to lose someone you love. So when you like Sarah… tell her”.

They finally reach the old Lodges-house when Luke answers. “Maybe you’re right… maybe I’ll do it… I mean I never looked as good as today in this suit. It’s now or never”. His silly joke lights the mood a bit but when they both get out of the car, he adds. “But Andrews… what about you? Will you be alright tonight?”

It’s obvious what exactly he means with that question _. They are speaking about Betty._

Archie stares up to the sun for a moment before he speaks. “I don’t really have a choice here, Luke.”

“You know that’s not true, right? There’s always a choice”.

A smile appears on Archie’s lips. “Not this time”.

One moment later a man who seem to work for the Lodges walks through the big entrance gate. “You must be Mr. Andrews… and this must be the car Miss Lodge asked me to prepare for her”.

“Yes… and yes”, Archie says while he shakes the hand of the old-looking man while he hands him the keys.

“Thank you. I’ll let our driver know that you’re here so he can bring you to the Hotel”. The man walks away with a smile on his face and only two minutes later, Luke and Archie are sitting in an expensive-looking, black car on their way to the wedding location.

It’s already half an hour after 3 o’clock when they finally arrive at the Hotel and the first sight of the building is leaving Luke and Archie a bit speechless at first. The whole entrance area is covered in white balloons and thousands of different flowers and there are employees standing at the side of the opened door, smiling at them when they step out of the car.

“Seems like they decorated the whole Hotel for this day”, Luke says while they walk through the front door.

“Why not… it’s their’s. They can do whatever the hell they want”, Archie answers but when they walk through the lobby and step on the huge terrace his words are slowly fading away at the majestic view in front of them.

The complete outside area of the Hotel is filled with chairs and tables, all of them standing underneath a beautiful, white marquee, the whole scenery covered in flowers and white bows. The whole place looks so big and so fantastic that Archie and Luke stand there for a moment, simply taking the whole view in.

It takes a whole minute until Archie spots the stage at the left side of the area and he smiles impressed when he walks over to Sarah, Laurie and Jerry who are already standing on the platform, adjusting the microphones.

„It looks breathtaking, huh?“ Sarah says when the two guys jump up on stage as well.

„Yeah, that’s a fitting word for… this“, Archie admits while he finds a small group of people gathering at the other end of the area, right where the many rows of chairs separate and a small but beautiful wedding altar is placed.

It doesn’t take long until he recognizes Reggie is one of the few people standing there and Archie jumps off from the small stage to walk over to him.

„Hey, man“, Reggie greets him with a hug and a warm smile once he sees him walking in his direction. „Good to see you… I have to say, I’m kind of nervous“.

„You? Nervous?“ Archie can’t help but let out a quiet laugh. „Common Reg, you’re the bravest person I know“.

„Yeah maybe…“. The black-haired guy is starring down at his wedding suit while he speaks before his eyes wander over the decoration around him. „I guess you have to be brave to marry a girl like Veronica.“

„That’s true… you know that her father will walk her down the aisle, right?“ Archie’s light joke seems to lift up Reggie’s nervous mood a tiny bit and he starts to laugh. „No need to remind me… Not gonna lie, I still have a lot of respect for this man“.

„You would be stupid if not“.

Reggie isn’t an open-hearted person like the other people Archie went to High School with and he used to keep his thoughts and feelings private for most of the time. But in this moment Reggie is looking at him with thankfulness in his eyes. „I’m glad you’re here, Andrews.“

„I’m glad I’m here too, Reg“.

Reggie’s eyes drift away from Archie’s face and to the stage in the background where Luke, Sarah, Jerry and Laurie are still working with the instruments and microphones. „The girl in red is your girlfriend, huh?“

Archie turns his head to the side, finding Laurie on the stage in the distance. „Not… directly“.

A smirk appears on Reggie’s face. „Ah… I understand“. He reaches his hand out and lays it down on Archie’s shoulder for a moment. „Don’t worry… you’ll find the right girl one day.“ He smiles for a second, before he adds: „Or maybe you already know her… just like I realized that Ronnie is the one“.

Archie is glad that another man he doesn’t know is calling Reggie in that moment and the dark-haired guy leaves with a short „Excuse me“ before Archie is forced to answer something to that.

Today isn’t the day to think about his own private life… because if he would start with that now, he probably wouldn’t be finished for a long while.

So, he turns around, breathing in the hot summer air which is accumulating under the tent cover, ready to return to the stage when he sees _her_ standing at the other side of the huge pavilion.

_Betty Cooper. And she is looking like an angel._

It’s still half an hour before the ceremony starts and there aren’t many people here yet, but he would recognize the beautiful color of her golden hair everywhere, just like the shimmer in her green eyes that seem to remind him of the color of a lake in the summer sun or a herbal tea in a winter night.

His whole body freezes when he realizes that Betty is walking in his direction and his eyes are stuck on her pretty, light-pink dress which is made out of such delicate, light fabric that it seems to float in the air while she is walking down the aisle.

He probably shouldn’t stare at her like this with so much admiration but for a moment he actually forgets to breath when she finally stops right in front of him, somehow reminding him of a Greek goddess.

For a long moment he get’s lost in the beauty of her face before he realizes that she is speaking to him. „… so it’s just the two of us“.

He shakes his head to return back to reality and he finally finds his voice again. „… what?“

There is a fine worry line right between her eyebrows when she looks back up to him. „I said that Katy is sick, Archie. She won’t be able to attend the wedding… so it’s just you and me as best man and bridesmaid.“

Her soft voice is distracting him so much, that he can’t even find an answer when he is supposed to speak.

Betty is faster… _because common, Betty has always been faster than Archie in literally everything._ „That doesn’t really change much, but I’ll have to make my speech a bit longer than planned. You’ll stay on the stage like it’s planned and everything will work out fine. Tell me, did everything with the car go well today?“

It takes him a moment to realize that she isn’t really speaking to him like a friend… she is sounding like a business woman.

„The car is perfect“, he replies a bit coolly, reminding himself that he isn’t really supposed to speak at her at all. He managed it to ignore her or even think about her for two whole weeks, so he won’t just return to a normal conversation with her, pretending like everything is alright between them. The last time they talked, everything changed. And they both know it.

„You don’t have to be so cold towards me, you know“, Betty suddenly says with a reproachful tone lingering in her voice. „We can still be friends… or at least pretend we are“.

They stare directly into each other’s eyes for a moment while the memories of her in his living room return into his mind. His words sound sad but a bit ironic when he asks: „…Can we?“

_Can we pretend like nothing happened?_

_Can we pretend like there isn’t something between us?_

She doesn’t answer to that because in that moment Archie lifts his gaze a little bit just in time to see Evan Campbell make his way down the aisle, an unsure but also a bit provoking smile on his face. „Hey Betty… Kevin said you’ll have to wait in the lobby until Veronica arrives. We’ll have 10 more minutes before the ceremony is supposed to start“.

„Okay, thank you“. Betty’s answer is polite and sweet, it’s the exact opposite of the expression on Archie’s face when he watches how Evan lays one arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him, his greeting toward Archie a simple nod and a short „Hi“.

„Hi“, is is equal reply, the sound of his voice drier that he wanted it to be.

It was clear that he would see them here as a couple. It’s not like just because he and Betty had this revealing but also inappropriate talk in his living room means that she isn’t capable of fixing the problems in her relationship. Of course there are still happy.

 _But it sucks;_ he adds in his mind.

„Alright, I’ll go back to the lobby“, Betty says after a short moment filled with an awkward silence before she tears herself out of Evan’s arm and turns back to the Hotel without saying a real goodbye.

Archie watches her leave without a word but it was clear that Evan wouldn’t be as silent as him. „I hope your band sounds good tonight… last time we saw you play you seemed a bit… distracted“.

Archie ignores the hint of an accusation in Evan’s words. „Don’t worry… there won’t be any problems tonight“.

Betty never really told Archie what exactly happened between her and Evan when they left the Hotel lounge on her birthday two weeks ago, but he knows that they had some kind of argument about the whole keep-your-distance thing.

Now, everything between them seems to have returned to normality and Archie should be glad for Betty… but that doesn’t change the fact that he still can’t stand Evan Campbell.

“Listen Evan, I don’t want any problems with you”, Archie confesses calmly. “But can you do me a favor as well?” His eyes follow Betty’s silhouette and he watches how she disappears between the people who are entering the garden through the backdoor of the Hotel. “Don’t lie to Betty again… and don’t hide something from her either. She was devastated because of this whole mess on her birthday”.

There is something dark flickering in Evan’s eyes when he throws a look at him, his voice firm and abruptly. “As far as I can tell, that’s not your problem anymore”.

Archie could do a lot of things to underline the answer that is lying on this tongue in that moment. He could punch him like he did a few years ago. He could tell him what he really thinks about him.

But he doesn’t do any of these things. Instead he only nods, a small and sarcastic smile in the corner of his mouth.

Before he can say something, he can hear Sarah’s voice behind him, calling him on stage and Archie decides to leave the conversation before he is able to end it the wrong way. So, he turns around and leaves Evan standing there while the whole place finally starts to fill with people.

“You’re ready for the opening?”, he shouts up to the stage, his voice almost drowning in the loud noise of hundreds of people having conversations around him.

Sarah lifts her thumb in the air while Jerry answers with a short “Yes” and Archie’s eyes fall on Laurie who is appearing right next to him. “I’ll sit right here during the ceremony”, she smiles lightly. “You should probably go up to the altar… I think the groom is waiting for you”.

Archie turns to the many chairs behind him, his eyes falling on a nervous looking but also excited Reggie and he says goodbye to Laurie as he makes his way through the loud cackling crowd.

“You’re alright, man?”, he asks the moment he reaches Reggie right in front of the flower-covered altar.

“I’m… perfect”, is Reggie’s honest answer. “I waited a long time for this… I’m ready. Here… take the rings. And don’t let them fall”.

He hands him a little pillow with two wedding rings lying in top of it and hey both turn to the big crowd who is gradually spreading on the many chairs on both sides of the aisle, people dressed in colorful clothes and wide smiles on their faces moving around in the hot summer air and after a moment, Archie spots Hermione and Hermosa Lodge sitting down in the front row on the other side of the altar. When he takes a look at the benches at the end of the marquee, he can see familiar faces like Kevin and Fangs sitting down right next to a smiling Cheryl and a very pregnant-looking Toni.

There isn’t much time for Archie to really think about the fact that all of his old High School friends are looking blissfully happy today because the moment everyone is finally sitting down on their seats and the priest appears right beside him to shake his and Reggie’s hand even Archie starts to get a little bit nervous.

It only takes two more minutes until everyone has finally settled down on their seat and a soft melody starts to silence the people.

And then Sarah and Jerry start to play the instrumental version of the wedding march and all faces turn to the end of the marquee where Veronica steps out of the Hotel lobby with a smile just as pretty as her tight, white dress. In elegant movements she is making her way down the few steps to the other end of the aisle and that’s the first time Archie sees Hiram Lodge again after five long years. There are many pleased sights and wide smiles when Mr. Lodge is leading his daughter to the altar and for a moment Archie forgets that Reggie is the only one who can’t see the beautiful spectacle because his whole body is turned to the other side of the pavilion.

“Reggie, she looks amazing”, Archie whispers to him with a little grin on his face.

“Of course, she does… it’s Ronnie”, the groom responses a bit amused, but the nervousness is painted in his dark eyes. “Can I turn around now?”

“Yes, I think it’s time”.

And in the exact moment Reggie turns around to take a look at Veronica in her wedding dress, Archie sees Betty walking a few steps right behind the bride, her hands holding the forever long veil while a soft but proud smile is painted on her curved lips.

He tears his eyes away from her when Hiram Lodge is handing over Veronica to Reggie in a symbolic way but as soon as the wedding couple is facing each other right in the middle in front of the altar, Betty Cooper is the only person apart from him who is standing at the front of the tent.

The registrar is beginning his speech about love and life and the miracle which is called a wedding and Archie tries everything in his power to stand still and concentrate on the beautiful couple right in front of him.

But Betty is right in the corner of his eyes the entire time, the color of her light-pink dress automatically drawing his attention to her after minutes of resisting.

He finally dares to look at her and watches how she is smiling at Veronica and Reggie from her place on the other side of the two rows of seats, a white bunch of flowers in her folded hands, her blonde hair falling over her shoulders, her skin almost glowing in the afternoon heat.

Archie can hear the registrar talking about “ _how beautiful the bond between a man and a woman is_ ” or “ _that love is the most beautiful thing on earth_ ” and all Archie can think about is how wrong this man is, because the most beautiful thing on this world is the blonde girl standing a few feet away from him.

And just like that he gets so lost in his thoughts that the next time he returns to reality is when Reggie turns around to him, asking for the rings he is still holding in his hand. “Here”.

Melancholy and pride is rising in his chest when he watches how Reggie and Veronica put the rings on each other’s hands and the moment the priest is declaring them as husband and wife and the wedding couple is leaning in for a kiss Archie turns his face just in time to stare right into Betty’s eyes on the other side of the little podium.

He holds her stare for what feels like a little eternity while the crowd around them seems to break out in applause and for a short amount of time Archie is able to see behind the façade Betty has been wearing since the last time he saw her in his living room. There is a mixture of love and hate written on her face, a mixture of longing and contempt all at once. The intensity of the expressions on her face are so strong, that it feels like she is speaking to him without using any words but there isn’t much time for Archie to read between the lines she is writing him silently.

Because the next thing he knows is how the people are getting up from their chairs all at the same time and start to walk over to the round tables and dance area in front of the small stage as hundreds of different chattering conversations fill the summer air like a loud but pleasant hum.

“Congratulations you two”, Archie smiles when he steps up to Reggie and Veronica, both of them meeting him with the widest smiles he ever saw on their faces. “I’ll head over to the stage now”.

“Thank you, Archiekins. You have the list of the songs I gave you, right?”, Veronica asks while she leans against Reggie’s shoulder.

“Yeah… you gave it to me like ten times”, he replies with a light smile on his lips. “I’ll see you later”. 

When he turns around Betty is still standing at the exact same spot she has been during the last few minutes and even though his heart keeps shouting at him to say something to her, his head keeps reminding him that there isn’t anything he could say to make the current situation better. And so he keeps on walking, brushes past her without looking at her once more and for a moment he could swear that he can feel her eyes on his back when he disappears in the crowd.

“The ceremony was beautiful!” Sarah is the first person he can hear when he jumps up on the stage after mending his way through the many people and he grabs his guitar like it’s some sort of distraction from the weird feelings inside his chest.

“Alright, let’s play. You’re ready Sarah?” He stares down at his copy of the playlist Veronica gave to them for this special day while he ignores the feeling of his friends starring at his cool demeanor.

„Ready“, is Sarah’s short reply before they start to play the first few accords.

And just like that, the wedding is in full swing.

They start with the first five songs they are supposed to perform while the music is just loud enough to blend into the conversations of the many groups of people down at the buffet or at the tables. There is one big benefit when you’re standing on a stage during an event like this because you’re not forced to swim through the endless sea of people, you actually have your own place of freedom and are able to watch the scenery from a quite place.

And just like every time Archie is holding his guitar in his hands, he realizes that standing on a stage is something he will miss like crazy when he returns to his service for the Navy. When he turns his head to Sarah and Jerry behind him, some similar emotions are written on their faces and Archie looks at Luke and Laurie who are sitting at a table right in front of the stage, both smiling while they seem to be in a light conversation.

 _I will miss these people;_ Archie admits quietly while they start to play another song, some old ballade he knows Veronica used to adore during High School.

He is more than glad that he doesn’t have to sing until later that night and Sarah is the one who has to sing the most today and he decides not to think about that too much.

His eyes drift through the crowd of people in front of him and he spots Kevin and Fangs at the buffet, talking with some family members from Reggie and when Archie can see Cheryl and Toni sitting at one of the round tables smiling over something funny Toni probably just said, he can’t help but to smile at the sight of their happiness.

He didn’t know that Toni is pregnant. And he also didn’t know that her and Cheryl are still a couple. That Fangs and Kevin are still together as well is also new information for Archie.

The realization that he didn’t only leave the town but also the people behind when he drove off to Maryland five years ago hurts a bit.

Archie doesn’t really know these people anymore… and guilt is flooding through his veins when he realizes that maybe he could have tried harder to keep in contact with his old classmates.

But then his eyes fall on the most beautiful woman in the room and he understands why his guilt isn’t something he should feel ashamed about. Because if he would feel guilt, that strong feeling would just pull him back to _her_.

Betty Cooper is standing right beside her boyfriend when Veronica and Reggie cut the enormous wedding cake at the other side of the pavilion and he watches how a natural smile appears on her face once the wedding couple leans in for kiss.

 _She is happy;_ he realizes. _Betty is happy. And I shouldn’t have ever returned into her life like I did during the last couple of weeks._

He knows he is right. He also knows that there isn’t even a point in thinking about her anymore. But that doesn’t stop him from watching her a while longer, but the second he can see how Evan turns her around to give her a kiss Archie closes his eyes, concentration on the way his fingers move over the sides of his guitar.

Betty used to be Archie’s hometown… and now it feels like he is in exile, watching how someone else is living in the streets he once used to own.

„Ladies and Gentleman, it’s time for the wedding dance“, Sarah suddenly speaks into the microphone and Archie takes a short and surprised look at the watch on his wrist. _It’s already 6 o’clock._

It’s looks a bit overwhelming how the giant group of people slowly make their way to the big dance floor and right in the middle Reggie takes Veronica’s hand with a smile on his face, silently inviting her to dance with him.

The wedding couple steps into the middle of the empty dance floor while the rest of the people gather around them in a big circle and Archie counts to six before he starts to play the first few accords of their chosen song _Can’t help falling in love with you_.

Sarah’s angelic voice is filling the whole pavilion when Veronica and Reggie start to dance in slow circles, totally lost in each other’s eyes while the crowd around them is taking photos and smiling at the just married couple.

Maybe it should feel a bit weird to be the best man and also one of the singers on your ex-girlfriends wedding, but the truth is Archie isn’t even thinking about something like that.

All he dares to think about are is friends around him and the feeling of his guitar in his hands while he closes his eyes for a long moment, silently listening to Sarah’s voice.

It takes five long minutes until the dance is over and the rest of the many guests are finally able to start dancing as well. Hundreds of couples spread all over the dance floor and Archie takes a look at the song-list that is still pinned on the music stand right in front of him and his heart sinks a bit when he realizes that he is going to sing the next few songs.

„You’re ready?“ This time it’s Sarah who is asking him and he looks over his shoulder, nodding without saying a word.

They start with a song called s _ay you won’t let go_ from James Arthur and the moment Archie starts to sing into the microphone he realizes that every song Reggie and Veronica picked out for him sounds as if it was made for his voice. The melody is perfect for his pitch and when the first few words leave his mouth, pure adrenaline is rushing through his veins.

That’s the moment he knows why he loved to sing. It feels thrilling to stand on a stage like this and to sing into a microphone and the more words come over Archie’s lips, the more he starts to enjoy it.

**„Then you smiled over your shoulder**

**For a minute, I was stone cold sober**

**I pulled you closer to my chest**

**And you asked me to stay over**

**I said, I already told ya**

**I think that you should get some rest“.**

No-one is really listening to Archie or to Vortex in general tonight but Archie doesn’t care. For the first time in weeks he finally feels relaxed and free again and and he almost smiles into the dancing crowd in front of him, the feeling of joy building up inside his body.

But then he catches a glimpse of blonde hair right in the middle of the dance floor and his eyes get stuck on Betty Cooper who is dancing with Evan Campbell right in-between the many other couples.

Archie tells himself that this isn’t important enough to distract him…

… but then, right when Evan’s back is turned towards the stage, he can see how Betty’s eyes somehow find him and stare into his own for a long moment, even if it feels like he is standing miles away from her.

**„Then you smiled over your shoulder**

**For a minute, I was stone cold sober**

**I pulled you closer to my chest“.**

He keeps singing like nothing happened, his eyes turning away in the exact same moment Betty looks at Evan again, but one look right in his eyes was enough to bring back the warm feeling inside his body.

And just like that, every line that comes over his lips, seems to remind him of Betty and his past.

**„And you asked me to stay over**

**I said, I already told ya**

**I think that you should get some rest“.**

He remembers the night he picked a very drunk Betty Cooper up at Cheryl’s house and he can see the memory of her begging him to stay with her in his bedroom right before his eyes.

**„I knew I loved you then, but you'd never know**

**'Cause I played it cool when I was scared of letting go**

**I knew I needed you, but I never showed**

**But I wanna stay with you until we're grey and old**

**Just say you won't let go**

**Just say you won't let go“.**

Every word, every line seems to take him back to his past and he keeps his eyes shut for while, desperately trying to get these hauling images out of his head.

He doesn’t really know why, but he manages it to finish the whole song without taking a look at the crowd again.

But the second he starts to sing the next song, he knows that the problem isn’t the lyrics itself… because somehow he seems to find parallels to his own life in every single song that leaves his mouth.

„ **I found a love for me**

**Oh darling, just dive right in and follow my lead**

**Well, I found a girl, beautiful and sweet**

**Oh, I never knew you were the someone waiting for me.“**

Ed Sheeran’s _perfect_ it the ultimate song for every wedding since 2017 and Archie slowly starts to realize the reason behind all that. _This lyrics is way too romantic._

**„Cause we were just kids when we fell in love**

**Not knowing what it was**

**I will not give you up this time**

**But darling, just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own**

**And in your eyes, you're holding mine.“**

This time he can’t pretend like he isn’t feeling something while singing these words out loud. There is a lump in his throat that seems to get bigger with every word that leaves his lips and he searches the crowd for Veronica and Reggie but of course his eyes would only find their way back to _her._

Betty is still dancing with Evan and Archie is watching how she clings to his arms like she used to do with him back when he was her boyfriend. He shakes his head, throwing away the feeling of guilt once again.

**„Baby, I'm dancing in the dark with you between my arms**

**Barefoot on the grass, listening to our favorite song**

**When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath**

**But you heard it, darling, you look perfect tonight“.**

He should look away the moment these words come over his lips, but he isn’t fast enough. He meets Betty’s eyes once again and even though he can clearly see that she is trying her best to smile up to Evan, he just knows that the lyric is reaching her just like it is reaching him.

That’s the first time he admits to himself, that he would like to be the one who is dancing with her down there.

Seconds turn into minutes and one song changes into another while Archie gives his best to avoid looking at Betty one more time.

**„I'd climb every mountain**

**And swim every ocean**

**Just to be with you**

**And fix what I've broken**

**Oh, 'cause I need you to see**

**That you are the reason“.**

Calum Scott would deliver a much better quality than Archie could ever give but the red-haired guy has one thing that seems to carry through every single word he sings. He feels the lyrics.

And maybe that’s the reason he can feel Betty’s eyes on him when he sings another verse, his eyes fixed on the roof upon him this time.

**„And if I could turn back the clock**

**I'd make sure the light defeated the dark**

**I'd spend every hour, of every day**

**Keeping you safe“.**

He thinks about the words he is singing this time and he realizes… _I would defeat the dark if I could turn back the clock. I probably would do anything to keep her safe._

_Her… Betty Cooper._

When the song changes again he can feel his gaze slowly falling down to her once again and he can’t keep pretending like she isn’t the only person who has been stuck in his mind every time he either sings or even writes a song.

The girl next door has always been his inspiration.

Archie decides to be honest with himself, even thought it won’t change anything.

He hates the way Evan is holding Betty in this moment.

He hates that he feels like a stranger to her on this stage.

He hates that she is looking at him like it’s the most forbidden thing on this world.

He hates that he has a beautiful girl by his side tonight… but Betty is the one inside his head.

He hates that he would love to punch Evan Campbell right in the face.

The the one thing he hates the most… is himself.

He takes a deep breath before he starts the next song, the melody of Jerry’s piano behind him almost matching his heavy heartbeat.

This time when he opens his mouth to sing, it feels like something inside him changed because of the honesty within his words.

He lifts his gaze because - _why the hell not_ \- and he risks another look at Betty and Evan in the distance, his voice much softer but deeper than before.

**„Loving you, Isn’t the right thing to do“.**

_Yeah, it’s not only not the right thing, it’s also the most devastating thing as well._

**"How can I ever change things that I feel?“**

_If I could wake up with amnesia to get rid of the pain our memories keep giving me… I would do it._

**„If I could, maybe I'd give you my world. How can I when you won't take it from me“.**

The moment he sings the last line he can see how Betty turns her face in his direction, a hidden expression of surprise but also shock painted in her eyes.

**„You can go your own way**

**Go your own way**

**You can call it**

**Another lonely day**

**You can go your own way**

**Go your own way“.**

This time something is different.

He can see it in the way she keeps starring at him a second too long or how she forgets to move along with Evan’s dance style.

Becausein the next moment, he can see how Evan suddenly stands still, his eyes following Betty’s up to the stage.

The two guys keep starring at each other and in the short lyric break between the first chorus and the second verse, Evan tears his eyes away from Archie and pushes himself past Betty, walking through the crowd while he leaves the blonde girl behind.

Archie can clearly see the hesitation in Betty’s eyes when she watches Evan leave the dance floor, the music still playing in the background and for a short moment, their eyes meet one last time and he can read something in her expression he has been carrying around as well for the entire day. It’s guilt.

And just like that, Betty turns away from his as well and makes her way through the crowd, following Evan outside of the pavilion.

It takes a moment until Archie realizes that he forgot to sing the second verse, because suddenly it’s Sarah voice who is filling the whole room and he turns around only to find her already starring back at him.

For a moment all Archie wants to do is jump off the stage and follow Betty outside to the garden.

The look on Evan’s face he just witnessed is causing a worrying feeling in his stomach and the guilt on Betty’s face is making him feel like he should be part of the discussion the couple is obviously about to have.

But the second he wants to turn around he meets Jerry and Sarah’s look again, both of them slowly shaking their heads.

It’s obvious what they want to tell him with that movement.

_Don’t go._

It’s as clear as the champagne in the glasses in the hands of these rich people in this room, but somehow all he wants to do is go after Betty.

But then he spots Luke and Laurie right in front of the stage and by the way his blonde best friend is starring up to him, he can tell that he followed the spectacle that was just expressed through nothing more than simple eye contact.

The moment Luke comes a bit closer to the stage and yells up to him, he knows he is right.

„Don’t follow her, Archie… let her speak to him alone“.

Luke is usually the funniest person in the room which makes the insistence in his voice even more important.

„Don’t get involved in something like that… at least not tonight“.

Sarah’s voice behind him, Luke’s look in front of him and the mixed emotions inside himself are almost a bit too much to take.

But Archie takes a step back, stares at the microphone again, feeling his heartbeat right in his throat.

The moment he opens his mouth and continues with the song his intentions to follow Betty might be gone… but his worry for her isn’t.

" **You can go your own way** “, he sings into the microphone while the crowd in front of him keeps dancing, blending into one colorful image in front of his eyes.

Archie knows that it isn’t his job to worry about Betty anymore.

But he knows that this feeling won’t ever go away again.

He cares for the girl next door. _Even though she isn’t his homeland anymore._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter isn't like the others in some ways because I wanted to describe Veronica's and Reggie's wedding for a moment before we return to the Betty and Archie story. And I know it might feel like a lot of story is missing because of the short time jump from the last chapter to this one, but the next one will be from Betty's point of view and we'll get a lot more information about her and Evan and her thoughts about everything.  
> I would love to hear your thoughts on part 1 of the wedding. Part two will be called "champagne problems" and I'll upload it in the middle of the next week! 
> 
> I wish you all a lovely day - stay healthy!! 🖤


	11. Champagne Problems

**"Because I dropped your hand while dancing**

**Left you out there standing**

**Crestfallen on the landing**

**Champagne problems."**

Forgiveness is something that hasn’t always been easy for Betty Cooper. Sometimes she forgave too soon, like back in High School when she promised Veronica Lodge they could still be friends even though the Lodge-daughter kissed Archie Andrews in the closet at Cheryl’s party, knowing that Betty had feelings for him back then.

She also forgave Jughead Jones far too soon for writing a novel based on the crimes of her serial killer father.

She forgave Archie Andrews for leaving her in New York four years ago… or at least that’s what she tells herself every time she is looking at him.

But forgiving Evan Campbell for lying to her for a whole month isn’t as easy as she hoped it would be. The truth is, his words didn’t only hurt her, he also hit a nerve with the whole cheating topic he brought up.

Betty was raised to be perfect, she was raised to be loyal.

And if she wants it or not, a huge part of her is still trying to be the best version of herself she can be… and getting reminded of mistakes she made years ago isn’t exactly what she wanted to hear on her 24. Birthday.

So she is mad at Evan because of the words he threw in her face.

She is mad at Archie when she is yelling at him in his house the same night.

And she is mad at herself when she returns to her old childhood room.

And nothing about that changes during the next two days. Betty stays at her mother’s house for the whole weekend while she is trying to clear her mind about the whole situation with Evan.

„Honey, I don’t know why you’re mad at him…“, Alice says to her on Sunday afternoon. „… but Evan seems like a good guy. I’m sure that… whatever he did… he never meant to hurt you“.

Of course her mother is right. As much as Betty would love to be angry at Evan for a few more days, she realizes that she can’t hide in her old bedroom forever. She is an adult now, and adults always need to face their problems, right?

So, she returns to the Hotel on Monday evening, meeting Evan in their apartment. He seems surprised but relieved when she steps through the door and she walks over to the table where he is sitting on.

She decides to speak first while he is putting down the documents he had in his hands. „Before you say anything… I want you to know that the words you said to me really hurt me.“

There is guilt on his face and she is glad that he is showing some sort of regret.

„You had no right to speak to Archie behind my back. And it was cruel of you to use informations I told you about my past against me like that. It wasn’t fair and it wasn’t nice.“

She pauses for a moment and he takes that as a chance to reply something.

„I know I messed up, Betty. And I’m so sorry for everything. I know I shouldn’t have spoken to him… and the things I said to you were dumb. I wasn’t thinking clear in that moment… I was just scared of losing you“.

She looks down to him while her fingertips tap on the back of the empty chair beside him and even though Betty can understand Evan’s intention, it’s not easy to say the following words. „I get that you just wanted to protect me… but I’m a grown woman, Evan. And you won’t lose me just like that“.

The last sentence paints an expression of relieve on his face and he stands up from his chair, meeting her in the middle. „I’m sorry Betty… I totally understand your point of view… I was wrong. I did a stupid thing. And I’m hoping that you can forgive me“.

It stays silent for a long minute until Betty speaks again, her words sounding more sure than the voice inside her head. „We’re in an adult relationship. I forgive you… but please… promise me that you’ll be honest with me from now on“.

There is an honest pleading in her voice and he smiles a bit when they both search for each other’s arms, falling into a hug. „I promise“.

Betty is expecting honesty form Evan’s side of the relationship from now on… but she keeps ignoring the fact that she isn’t completely honest to him at all.

Because even though their fight seems to be over for now, Betty keeps forgetting to mention one detail when Evan asks her about her time at her mothers house. _She never tells him about her late-night conversation with Archie._

The next few days everything seems to return to normality again, and Betty is more than glad about that. She feels relaxed when she is working through her cases at work, she laughs when Charles tells her about his new girlfriend during their lunch breaks and she smiles when Evan presses a kiss on her lips each evening she returns to their apartment.

But this temporary happiness is build on nothing more than denial.

Because if Betty would be totally honest to herself, this new and pure phase of peace in her life is based on one simple thing. And that thing is ignoring the existence of Archie Andrews every single day.

Their conversation from the night in his living room is ghosting around inside her head from time to time but she shuts the pictures of him out of her mind, reminding herself that thinking about him shouldn’t be a part of her life at all anymore.

_Archie made his choice a long time ago and Betty is redoing her own every single day._

Time flies when you’re keeping yourself busy and after a few days of hiding behind her cases at work and her will to enjoy every evening she gets to spent with her boyfriend, the big wedding is finally right around the corner.

The 13. July is a beautiful sunny day and Betty smiles out of the Hotel window when the sun is already high in the sky around 10 in the morning.

„What the hell are you doing up this early? Come back to bed… it’s a Saturday“, Evan mumbles in a sleepy voice when she walks through the room, grabbing some fresh clothes out of the big closet.

„I’m the bridesmaid, Evan“, she explains with a smile. „There are still a lot of things do to today“.

He only groans when she walks into the bathroom and the moment she steps under the warm water of the shower the excitement for the wedding is circling in her stomach.

It’s 2pm when Betty leaves the Hotel apartment and she says goodbye to Evan with a short kiss and a fast spoken „I’ll see you downstairs in a few hours“. The long pink dress Veronica selected for the bridesmaids is flying in the air on her way to the lobby and Betty is thanking the bride in her mind for picking out such a light fabric.

The temperature is as hot as expected for the middle of July and even the driver of the Lodges who is driving Betty to Veronica is complaining about the weather with a short „Hot like in hell“ while activating the air conditioning in the car.

When Betty arrives at the old estate of the Lodge family it’s the first time in years she actually sees Hiram and Hermione Lodge again, both dressed in perfectly matching clothing while they welcome her in the huge living room, showing her the way to Veronica’s old bedroom.

The dark-haired girl is sitting on a chair in front of her old dressing table, wearing a purple bathrobe while a middle-aged woman is standing behind her, pulling Veronica’s long black hair into beautiful curls.

„Betty! I’m so glad you’re here“. Her old best friend seems more than happy to see her stepping into the room and Betty sits down on a chair right beside her, smiling at the beauty of the bride. „V, you look beautiful“.

„You too! I knew this light pink would be a better fit than the peach color“. Veronica seems happy but also a bit stressed. „I have some bad news, B. Katy is going through a bad flu right now which means she won’t be able to attend the wedding. That means you’ll be my only bridesmaid today“.

There is one thing you should never do at a wedding… at that is stressing or worrying the bride. So even though these news make Betty more than nervous, she manages to put a calming smile on her lips. „Don’t worry. I got this“.

But it turns out that that’s not exactly the case.

When Veronica is getting dressed half an hour later, Betty is calling Katy to ask for her part of the speech they had prepared, wishing a good recovery while they speak. The blonde girl gets a bit calmer once she receives the missing part of the speech via text message, but there is something about this day that is making her a bit restless inside.

She brushes that feeling away when she is driving back to the Hotel one hour later, her nervousness getting a bit worse with every minute that passes by.

But that feeling get’s wiped away as soon as she walks into the lobby of the Hotel and meets some old familiar faces. Kevin, Fangs, Jughead and Jessica are standing right beside Cheryl and Toni and when she makes a step towards them she can see Evan standing inside their little circle as well. He’s wearing the suit he bought for the wedding and has a soft smile on his lips when he greets her with a short kiss. „Hey… your friends are already here“.

It feels a bit overwhelming to see so many well-known faces at once but Betty manages to hug every single one of them while making Fangs a compliment about his new long-hair hairstyle and telling Cheryl and Toni her congratulations on the pregnancy. „Wow, Toni“, she smiles when she looks at her pregnancy belly. „I’m so happy for you guys“.

„Thank you, Betty“. The short woman smiles while Cheryl lays one hand on Toni’s belly. „It was a decision we thought about a long time and we can’t wait for the birth date next month“.

Cheryl looks a bit different with her shoulder-long hair when she adds with a grin: „Toni wanted to carry our child but we found a way to include me during the progress as well… or at least something that will fit to my signature look. We selected a sperm donor with red hair for the baby.“

There isn’t anything much more to add and Betty simply smiles when Cheryl leans in for a kiss with Toni. _Their love was always meant to be._

Betty admires the view of real love right in front of her eyes but with her friends around her, Evan standing right at her side, hundred of people slowly making their way through the front door behind them and the increasing background noise, everything seems to get a bit over her head.

She turns to Evan for a short second, excusing herself with the words „I need to manage some things for my speech later… I’ll be right back“.

And with that she walks through the backdoor of the lobby and steps into the huge garden area, seeing the huge pavilion for the very first time. _Wow, what a view._

She keeps walking without any real destination, but then she sees _him_ standing on the other side of the long aisle right between the two rows of benches she can’t help but make her way over to him.

Archie Andrews is already starring at her when she is still a few feet away and she wonders why he is looking so paralyzed for a moment until she is finally standing right in front of him, desperately trying to ignore the fact that he is looking more mature and more attractive than ever in that black suit. „It’s good that I see you because you should know that Katy who was meant to be the second bridesmaid is sick so it’s just the two of us“.

There is a long moment where he is just looking down to her with something unreadable lingering in his expression, before he replies with a confused: „… what?“

„I said that Katy is sick, Archie. She won’t be able to attend the wedding… so it’s just you and me as best man and bridesmaid. That doesn’t really change much, but I’ll have to make my speech a bit longer than planned. You’ll stay on the stage like it’s planned and everything will work out fine. Tell me… did everything with the car go well today?“ The curiosity in her voice isn’t as strong as the feeling of wanting to run away from Archie and the overwhelming feeling inside her chest whenever she is standing in front of him like this.

„The car is perfect“. When he finally answers something his voice seems as cold as the distant look in his dark eyes.

„You don’t gave to be so cold towards me, you know?“ She replies a bit harsh. All she wanted was to escape from her friends for a while and now she is just receiving other negative feelings from a person she isn’t even supposed to talk to in the first place. „We can still be friends… or at least pretend we are“.

A moment of silence is pausing their conversation until Archie finally answers: „…. Can we?“

His reply sounds like a real question and a part of Betty is glad that she doesn’t have to search for the right answer because Evan is appearing right at her side in that moment, his arm looping around her shoulders like she is some sort of trophy. „Hey Betty, Kevin said you’ll have to wait in the lobby until Veronica arrives. We’ll have 10 more minutes before the ceremony is supposed to start“.

The arrival of Evan made the conversation between her and Archie even more uncomfortable than before, so she decides to leave with a simple „Okay, thank you“.

When she turns around and is walking back to the lobby she knows Evan isn’t following her and for a moment she is scared that Archie might get the chance to tell him about her birthday night in his living room… but the more she keeps thinking about that, the more she realizes that even though her and Archie might be on different sides right now, he would never sabotage her relationship like that.

But that doesn’t change the fact that her head keeps spinning for the next few minutes until all people finally sit down on their seats and Betty can see Veronica and her father arriving in the small car her and Archie fixed during the last few weeks.

The sunlight is reflecting in Veronica’s white dress while she greets her with a nervous hug in the lobby, mumbling something that sounds like „Oh Betty, I think I’ll pass out any second, I’m so nervous“.

„There’s nothing to be nervous about, Mija.“ Hiram Lodge reaches her his arm with a proud smile. „You look beautiful. And you’re a Lodge. You’ll go out there with your head held high“.

The bride takes his arm and a deep breath all at once while some pleasant piano melody starts to play from the stage on the garden, the soft summer wind carrying the music all over the Hotel area. „That’s the signal… let’s go“.

It’s a beautiful moment to watch Veronica Lodge make her way down the aisle and even though Betty is only able to see her dress from behind, she can see on the faces on the people around them how beautiful Veronica must look like. When they finally reach the altar Betty steps over to her place on Veronica’s left side and she takes the bunch of flowers in her hands, smiling at the wide-grinning wedding couple.

The ceremony is simply perfect. Words of love are spoken while Reggie and Veronica put the wedding rings on each others hands, promising each other endless loyalty and love until their dying days.

Betty can see the happiness on Reggie’s face the moment he leans in for the final kiss… and that’s the moment her eyes find the face of Archie right on the other side of the altar. He is already looking back at her and for a long, endless moment it feels like they are starring right into each other’s soul. There is longing hiding right behind the emotionless mask on his face and she is able to catch a climbs of that before the people around them start to applaud for the freshly married couple. She tears her eyes away from him, concentrates on the wedding couple in front of her and watches how Archie talks to the for a moment. And the second he turns to her she is convinced he will talk to her and she doesn’t know how to feel when he walks past her without one single word and she looks after him, not even knowing why.

The wedding party is just as extravagant and sensational like everyone who knows the Lodge’s already expected but the enormously large wedding cake and the six course menu buffet are tasting even more expensive than the guests had imagined.

Betty gets pulled into a circle of talking with her old friends, chatting with people she barely knows and following Evan to different snack tables and before she knows it, it’s already one hour later.

Everything is going fine when Sarah announces the wedding dance over her microphone and Reggie and Veronica deliver the most romantic waltz Betty ever saw in her entire life. The crowd explodes into applause once Sarah’s wonderful cover of _Can’t help falling in love with you_ ends and the wedding couple is waving the rest of the people over to join them on the dance floor as well.

Evan takes Betty’s hand and before she knows it, she is in the middle of the whole spectacle, pressed between many other people, meeting Evan’s soft smile right in front of her eyes. „Remember our dance class in New Haven? Feels a bit like a throwback, don’t you think?“, the dark-haired guy asks and Betty can’t help but to smile about the mentioned memories.

„Of course, I remember… weren’t you the one who stepped on my feet all the time?“

Evan joins her quiet laugh. „Yeah, but you have to admit that I got better over time and…“.

He keeps on talking and Betty keeps looking up to his face while he speaks, but the second her ears can hear a very familiar voice over the microphone, it feels like all her senses are focusing on the soft melody playing in the background.

_Archie is singing._

At first she thinks that her ears are trying to trick her because she knows damn well that Sarah was the only person tonight who was singing on stage. But the more time goes by, the more Betty realizes that it’s indeed Archie who is standing up there, singing into the microphone. His voice is so warm and so deep that she can’t help but to take a look over Evan’s shoulder.

**„Then you smiled over your shoulder,**

**For a minute, I was stone cold sober.**

**I pulled you closer to my chest.**

**And you asked me to stay over,**

**I said, I already told ya,**

**I think that you should get some rest“.**

And right in the moment she finds Archie on the stage, his eyes meet hers right in the middle and the meaning of the words that are coming over his lips seem to hit her right in the heart. She turns her eyes back to Evan, trying her best to focus in the words he is saying… but as soon as Archie is starting another song, her eyes seem to find their way back to him.

**„Cause we were just kids when we fell in love,**

**Not knowing what it was,**

**I will not give you up this time.**

**But darling, just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own,**

**And in your eyes, you’re holding mine.**

**Baby, I’m dancing in the dark with you between my arms…“.**

His voice seems to get inside her head like a curse and she closes her eyes for a moment, her fingers clinging to Evan’s suit while they spin around in slow circles.

„Are you alright?“ Evan seems a bit worried and she opens her eyes again, putting an assuring smile on her face. „Yes! Everything is just… perfect“.

**„I’d climb every mountain,**

**And swim every ocean.**

**Just to be with you,**

**And fix what I’ve broken.**

**Oh, cause I need you to see,**

**That you are the reason“.**

_Oh, damn it Archie;_ she hisses in her mind while she concentrates on Evan’s hand behind her back.

**„And if I could turn back the clock,**

**I’d make sure the light defeated the dark.**

**I’d spend every hour, of every day,**

**Keeping you safe“.**

Archie’s voice is breaking a tiny bit during that verse and no-one else in the room seems to notice… except Betty. Her eyes flutter back to the stage and it only takes a few seconds until the red-haired lead singer is starring back at her, something unrecognizable written on his face.

„Betty?“

Evan’s voice seems to echo to her from a distance she didn’t know she created and when he says her name again she looks back to his face right in front of her, almost shocked to see him standing so close.

„I… I’m sorry, I wasn’t listening“, she mumbles while shaking her head a little bit, a light but desperate smile in the corner of her lips.

„Yeah… I could see that“, is Evan’s emotionless reply and when she finally looks him in the eyes again, there is a coldness in them she never noticed before. She doesn’t even need to ask about his sudden mood change because he is answering her unspoken question without any request. „We’ve been dancing for fifteen minutes now… and I think you spent ten of them, starring at your old best friend who is singing on stage behind me“.

His words hit her so unprepared, that a helpless and ironic smile appears on her lips. „What? No, that’s not true…“.

But in that exact moment, Archie starts to sing a new song and the second he speaks the first sentence, Betty’s eyes are drawn to him like a moth to the light.

**„Loving you, isn’t the right thing to do.**

**But how can I, ever change things that I feel?“**

„Betty…“. Evan’s voice sounds like he is calling her from a place far far away and there is a conflict inside her, that has never been so strong before.

**„If I could, maybe I’d give you my world. How can I, when you won’t take it from me?“**

Her eyes flicker back to Evan for a brief moment and it feels like her whole world is spinning around when she looks up to the face of her boyfriend while all she can hear is the voice of Archie Andrews. „Betty, look at me…“.

**„You can go your own way.**

**You can call it another lonely day.**

**You can go your own way…**

**Go your own way“.**

She didn’t even notice how her eyes were wandering back to the stage… not until Evan suddenly stops their little circling movements and she is forced to look back at him, meeting his stone cold expression.

„… Evan?“

„You don’t even hear anything that I’m saying“, he states coldly. „You’re not even looking at me“. There is pain in his voice, but also a huge amount of shock.

And suddenly his hands on her back are gone and he takes a step back before he pushes past her, making his way through the crowd.

„Evan!“ Her voice drowns in the noises around her and it only takes a few second until she finally starts moving, following Evan outside the pavilion.

„Hey Evan, wait…“. It’s almost completely dark when she steps out of the pavilion and into the empty part of the garden area, meeting Evan right in front of Veronica’s beloved rosebushes while the orange sky above them slowly fades into a dark purple. „Evan, let me explain…“.

„I’m sick of it“. Evan turns around with a fast move while she stands still as well, facing the ranging emotions on his face. „I’m so sick of hearing your apologizes and your monologues in which you assure me that you and Archie are just friends… I’m sick of pretending like everything is fine between us“. 

Betty tries to calm him down a bit but her words seem to shatter every time she dares to speak. “Evan…”.

“I knew that everything would fall apart as soon as this guy came back to this doomed town.” The dark-haired guy stares at the sky for a moment, a pained smile on his face. “I already knew back in New Haven that he would only cause problems… it’s always the same with these military guys. He’s just like my brother”.

“What does your brother have to do with all of this?” Her question is honest and direct.

“They both ruin relationships, Betty! My brother teared my family apart when he left for the Navy and your beloved _best-friend_ is doing the exact same thing with our relationship right now”.

Betty takes a step closer to him, trying to reach him with words and with closeness. “Evan… Archie isn’t destroying our relationship”.

“Oh, isn’t he?” Evan’s eyes fall back down on Betty, the wariness and provocation spread all over his face. “Then explain to me… why didn’t you tell me that you saw him in the night of your birthday two weeks ago?” There is nothing but hurt on his face while she realizes that this might be the most difficult conversation she ever had with Evan Campbell. “And why didn’t you ever tell me that Archie is your neighbor as well? I mean I never even knew that your bedroom windows literally face one another until we saw him working in front of his house at the beginning of May! We… we slept in your old bedroom for weeks during the last year Betty, and… I saw you starring out the window a few times, and I never asked why but now everything is starting to make sense…”. His hands move up and he loosens the red tie around his neck a little bit, obviously trying to get more air inside his lungs. “… and now we’re at a wedding, the most romantic event there is… and you keep looking at him while I’m dancing with you”.

The scenery is unfolding in front of Betty like a nightmare and all she can do is stand there and watch how everything she tried to hold together during the last couple of weeks is starting to fall apart right in her hands. “Evan, that’s not true…”.

He shakes his head at her answer, the painful smile on his face reappearing. “That’s probably the worst part of it all… you’re totally in denial. You don’t even realize that I’m right”.

It feels like her heart is breaking right inside her chest while she keeps holding Evan’s broken eye contact, her words coming over her lips like an apology. “Evan, I love you”.

A short moment of silence spreads around them, only the chattering from the people inside the pavilion echoing through the night.

When Evan speaks again, his voice is clearer than before. “That might be true… but Betty…”. This time he is the one who takes a step in her direction and all she wants to do is close the distance between them to hold him tighter than ever before, the feeling of loosing someone tearing her down with every second. “… look me in the eyes and tell me that you don’t have any feelings for Archie”.

Her mouth falls a bit open, just like she wants to say something, but every word gets stuck inside her lungs. “I…”. It feels like her whole body is freezing while she searches for the right words to say before she finally decides to go with an honest answer. “I don’t know what I feel”.

It seems like Evan was expecting an answer like this, but he still looks disappointed when he hears her speak. Something in the way he is looking at her seems to change and she can see him slowly losing faith in their relationship while the last glimmer of hope is leaving his sparkling eyes. “I can’t do this anymore, Betty”. When he finally speaks his words sound final. “I won’t be waiting for the day when you have a real answer to that question.”

He stares at the thorns of the rose bushes beside him for a long moment while the night air sends shivers down Betty’s skin.

“I will go back to New York”, Evan finally says. “At least for a while… I’ll quit my job. I’ll help my father with his business. I think that’s for the best”.

The whole conversation feels surreal and like a nightmare at once and Betty’s head keeps spinning faster than ever before. “No… don’t leave, Evan.”

“My decision is final”. He finally looks back up to her and there is strictness in his eyes, right behind the sorrow and pain. “I love you, Cooper. I loved you since you asked me to help you with math all these years ago… but I can’t keep waiting for you to fully return these feelings.”

“I am already returning these feelings!”, she replies with a hint of desperation in her broken voice and she takes a last step forward, reaching out for him with her hands.

“You don’t know what you feel”. His words aren’t a question, they are a fact. “You need to find that out on your own… and I won’t be here to wait for an answer that should have been clear since the moment we first kissed”. And with that he takes a step back and her hands fall back down, losing every connection to the broken man in front of her.

“I want you to find out what you want, Betty”, he explains and the moment she can see him almost losing the control over his composed facial expression, one single tear runs down her burning cheeks. “And when you realize what exactly that is… and the answer should be me… I’ll wait for you in New York”.

She wants to say something, wants to convince him to stay with her, but there isn’t one single word coming over her lips.

And the moment she finally wants to say something, she can hear someone say her name over the microphone in the pavilion behind her and she realizes that it’s time for her bridesmaid speech.

“You should go”. Evan sounds devastated while his teary eyes stare at her one last time. “They’re waiting for you”.

And then he turns away from her, disappears into the night with slow steps and Betty seems to be frozen in place for the next minute while she simply stares into the darkness in front of her, not really progressing what exactly just happened.

“Betty? Hey Betty!” There is another voice who is calling for her from the pavilion and she reaches up and wipes the tear away from her cheek before she turns around, meeting the smile of Kevin Keller. “Hey, what are you doing out here all alone… your speech is next”.

Even though it feels like her heart is breaking inside her chest she manages a convincing smile while she walks up to Kevin. “I just needed some fresh air… let’s go back inside”.

Maybe it’s because of the darkness around her or because Kevin and her haven’t seen each other in a long time… but he doesn’t seem to notice the sadness in her eyes while she follows him back to the crowd inside the huge tent and she makes her way towards the stage with a broken smile on her lips.

The stage is empty when she finally reaches the end of the pavilion and grabs a glass of champagne from one of the many small serving trolleys and when she takes the steps up to the small podium the cheerful chatting and soft background music playing over the speakers falls silent. There isn’t really much time to wonder where Vortex has gone within the last few minutes because as soon as Betty reaches the microphone, all eyes in the room are on her.

“Good evening everyone”. She has to take a small step back from the microphone because her voice is a bit too loud and the moment she wants to search for her prepared speech she realizes that she left her phone and also her notes on her table down at the buffet. _Amazing._

She can see Reggie and Veronica sitting at their table right in the middle in the end of the room, both smiling at her and Betty decides that she doesn’t have any other choice than to make this speech completely spontaneously.

A deep breath comes over her lips while she closes her eyes for a moment, but as soon as she is alone with her thoughts, she can see Evan’s face right in front of her and the shock and sadness returns into her body like poison. She opens her eyes again, a small smile on her lips while she speaks the first words that are on her mind. “Veronica and I have known each other for a long time now. We’ve been best friends during the difficult years in High School… we’ve been cheerleader colleagues on the football field… we’ve been rivals when it came to boys”. She smiles into the crowd and can hear a few quiet laughs from several people on the dance floor. “So the truth is, Veronica has seen a lot of my life and I have seen a lot of her life as well… and I have never seen her happier than in this exact moment”. She finds Veronica’s face in the crowd and the wide smile on the dark-haired girls face is confirming to her that she is speaking the right words.

She takes another deep breath and is letting her gaze move around the room for a while… and then she sees Sarah, Luke and Jerry sitting at one of the tables right in front of the small stage, all three looking up to her with unreadable expressions.

And then she seems _him_ as well. Archie is sitting right beside his friends, the beautiful girl in red right at his side, but his eyes aren’t drawn to his date beside him… he is starring up to her.

That’s when another moment of sadness hits her right in her bones but the longer she keeps starring at Archie’s face, the more words build into a speech in her mind.

“To find a relationship as bright and beautiful as Reggie and Veronica’s is something very, very special”, she speaks and her voice echoes over the speakers into every corner of the pavilion. “There is a love between them that is pure and simple… a love that brings out the best in them. And such a love isn’t easy to find and isn’t easy to keep”.

Betty’s eyes tear away from Archie and she looks back to Reggie and Veronica, meeting their happy faces at the end of the room. “I read somewhere that love is a friendship that has caught fire…”, she says with a silent laugh in her soft voice. “May your fire stay strong and bright and filled with love and laughter for at least the next 50 years.”

 _Because every love is just a flame and the brighter it shines the faster it will burn up;_ she adds in her mind while not only the face of Evan is appearing in her mind, but also the face of Archie who is still looking up to her from his seat at the round table.

Betty could cry when she feels Archie’s eyes on her but she keeps looking at the wedding couple, raising the glass of champagne in her hand. “To the Bride and Groom… they’ll finally live their happily ever after!”

It’s a pretty sound when hundreds of different people clink their glasses in the exact same moment and Betty closes her eyes when she empties her glass in one draught, feeling the champagne run down her throat, hoping it will ease the pain inside her heart.

She feels a bit dazed when she leaves the stage again, while new music starts to play over the many speakers in the tent and it gets loud within seconds when the couples start dancing again.

Betty keeps her face turned away from the crowd when she makes her way to the stairs on the side of the stage, trying her best not to show the pained expression in her eyes.

In her mind she is already planning on returning to her Hotel apartment so no one can see her real feelings but the moment she takes the first step down the stairs right beside the stage, a hand is reaching out to her.

Her eyes move up from the floor and she meets the intense look on Archie’s face who is standing right at the foot of the stairs, his hand reaching out for hers as she seems to freeze in her movement.

“Dance with me”. His voice is warm and inviting but she hesitates like never before in her life.

He seems to read the worry on her face. “Dance with me Betty… please”.

Her feet move on their one as she takes two more steps down the stairs and he takes her hand before she can even say anything. “That’s not a good idea, I don’t feel…”.

“You don’t feel so good?”, he replies while she is finally on the ground beside him. “I know, because I saw it during your speech. And everyone else here is suspecting it as well, so dance with me to proof them wrong”.

_Of course... I could fool the whole world... but Archie always sees the truth behind my mask._

A bit of shock appears on her face and the moment she wants to look around to see if Archie is right, he squeezes her hand lightly, pulling her onto the dance floor right between the many other couples.

“Just look at me”, he says and the second his hand touches the skin on her back and the other is holding her own, the will to walk away disappears. The music is some old ballade Betty doesn’t know but all of that isn’t even important anymore. Her mind is still spinning in circles with the memories of her conversation with Evan and she doesn’t really know if she should play along with Archie’s plan or if she should leave him standing here.

“Smile Betty”, he suddenly says so quiet than only she can hear it and the moment they start to move to the melody is the first time she dares to looks him in the eyes. “Tell me what happened”.

“Why do you want to know?”, she simply replies with a cold voice, her hand clinging to his shoulder while her own emotions seem to tear her down again. “You said we can’t be friends anymore. So why should I tell you anything?”

He stays silent for a while she tries to ignore the feeling of his hand on her bare back or that she can feel every movement of his body when they spin around in slow circles. “Betty… please don’t make this harder than it already is”.

“Oh so I’m the guilty one here?” Her voice is just a whisper because if she would speak louder the dancing couples around them could hear the anger in her voice. “You are the one who ruined everything! You just had to perform these songs on stage, right? You… you destroyed everything”.

They both know her words aren’t fair, but he doesn’t say a thing for a long time while she keeps wondering what is going on inside his heads.

“I didn’t do anything wrong and you know that. I was just performing the songs I was supposed to sing”.

 _I know;_ she should say. _I’m just mad at myself, not at you._

But she keeps on looking into his eyes like she can find the right answer inside this deep-brown color.

“Evan is gone”. When these final words come over her lips her voice sounds empty.

Archie seems surprised over her sudden statement and their movements get a bit slower than before while he tries to read the feelings in her expression. He could say a lot of things in this moment and she can see all of these possible answers in the way his eyes follow every line on her face. But when he finally speaks, his voice sounds more honest than she expected. “I’m sorry, Betty”.

The truth in his words is erasing every reply out of her mind, but there is a lump of sadness in her throat that is making its way to the surface second by second.

“You don’t deserve this”, he adds after a while and that’s the statement that puts a sad and ironic smile on her lips.

“You think so?” She shakes her head a little. “Well, I think I deserve this… maybe that’s the price I have to pay for years of trying to be the perfect girl next door. Every single relationship I start is doomed to fail sooner or later… maybe they’re not even real”.

“You know that’s not true”.

“It is”, she replies immediately.

He looks at her while she turns her face away from him, her eyes wandering over the dancing crowd around them. “Our relationship was real”.

She closes her eyes before he can see the pain inside them. “It was… and it failed as well”.

Somehow the touch of his hands on her back are now much more present and when she opens her eyes again, the look on his face is much more intense than before. “That doesn’t mean that our friendship is doomed to fail as well”.

She rolls her eyes while he spins them around and she doesn’t even know how many songs have passed by since they started to dance. “I really mean it, Betty. Let me be there for you. As a friend”.

There is a tone in his voice while he speaks that confuses her for a moment and before she can do anything about it she nearly trips over her own feet, her body falling against his and his grip around her tightens to keep their balance. It’s funny that the word _friend_ is still hanging in the air when she looks up to him at the same time when she takes a step back again, entangling herself from his arms, their hands still interlocked with each other. The warmth of his closeness and the familiar scent of him is so intense that she has to take a deep breath and she searches for the right words to say while keeping a reasonable distance between their bodies.

“Okay… let us be friends. The first step would be for you to ask your date to dance with you instead of me”.

They both look over to the table where Archie’s friends are still sitting on and Laurie is talking with Jerry.

“And I’ll leave you alone now”, she adds with a soft smile, even though her eyes are drowned with emotions.

There is hesitation in his eyes when she takes a small step away from him. “You’ll let me know… when you need anything, right?”

 _Probably not_ ; she thinks. “Of course… now go to her”.

And then she turns away, slowly pulling her hand out of his grip and she makes her way through the crowd without looking back, the feeling of his skin still lingering all over her body.

The party might still be in full swing, but Betty knows that she has to breath some fresh air for a moment. So she leaves the pavilion again, steps through the garden area before she realizes that her feet are carrying her towards the lobby.

And before she knows it, she steps into the elevator and arrives in front of her apartment a few seconds later, her heart beating like it’s afraid to stop any minute. 

When she opens the door and sees that Evan’s clothes and suitcases disappeared, she knows what she has been looking for. She wanted confirmation.

_He’s really gone._

The realization that he really left hits hard and she sinks down on their big double bed, tears building up in her eyes.

There won’t be enough time in that night for Betty to realize what exactly happened or what she lost.

But she knows that the tears than are running down her cheeks aren’t only born from sadness… they are tears of anger as well. Betty is angry at herself.

Angry because she destroyed a relationship that meant the world to her.

Angry because all of it is entirely her fault.

Angry because she couldn’t give Evan the answer he wanted to hear.

 _Maybe returning to Riverdale was a huge mistake;_ she wonders a couple of minutes later when she goes back downstairs, just in time to witness how Veronica and Reggie drive off into their honeymoon.

All the guests are gathered in front of the Hotel, waving at the just married couple while they drive off into the night. The stars above them shine bright, the summer night air is mild and the people are nice and Betty gives her best smile while she keeps standing right beside Kevin and Fangs.

Maybe she will need some time to think about everything… and maybe she will be ready to move to New York in a few weeks, once she told Evan that he is the only man for her.

But right now, Betty decides that the best thing she can do, is have some time on her own for the next couple of weeks. She needs to figure some things out on her own before she makes a final choice.

 _It’s clear that I will end up in New York anyway;_ she thinks while she watches the wedding car disappear in the distance. _No-one will ever be as good for me as Evan._

But then her eyes meet Archie’s on the other side of the sidewalk, his hand interlocked with the fingers of the pretty girl in the red dress beside him… and suddenly Betty isn’t so sure anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo... Betty and Evan are going their separate ways for a while.  
> I would love to read your reactions/feedback/thoughts on this chapter or the story in general!  
> The two wedding chapters were by far the two hardest ones to write, probably because of the many details and different people in every scenery. 
> 
> What's to come:  
> There will be more scenes with the old Riverdale characters in the upcoming chapters (Kevin, Fangs, Choni, etc.) and Betty gets to focus on her work a bit more which allows her to keep some distance from past relationships for a while. Reggie and Veronica are off to their honeymoon for a few days, but Archie is still in town. ;) 
> 
> I wish you all a happy day!! Stay healthy! ❤️


	12. Fire on Fire

**"Maybe it's 'cause I got a little bit older**   
**Maybe it's all that I've been through**   
**I'd like to think it's how you lean on my shoulder**   
**And how I see myself with you**

**I don't say a word**   
**But still, you take my breath and steal the things I know**   
**There you go, saving me from out of the cold**

**Fire on fire would normally kill us**   
**But this much desire, together, we're winners**   
**They say that we're out of control and some say we're sinners**   
**But don't let them ruin our beautiful rhythms.**

**It's fire on fire."**

Archie Andrews has been the best friend of Betty Cooper since the age of four. But living right beside the blonde girl next door not only made him her best friend, it also made him the person who is able to read every feeling on her pretty face. Archie always knew exactly when Betty was mad about something or if she was feeling sad, or happy or even bored sometimes.

And that never changed, which makes it so easy for the red-haired man to realize that something is wrong with Betty while she is doing her speech on Veronica and Reggie’s wedding.

He can see it in the way she tries to hide her broken voice behind some jokes or how there is an undeniable pain lying right behind the face she is showing to the audience in that moment.

All of that makes it pretty easy for him to make the decision to help her. “Laurie, will you give me a minute?”, he asks while he stands up from his chair right beside her, his eyes following Betty on her way to the stairs beside the stage.

“Of course”.

“I’ll be right back”.

Somehow, it’s the easiest thing in the world for him to walk over there and reach out his hand for her. And even though Betty seems more unsure than ever before, he is glad when she accepts his invitation and follows him to the dance floor.

He should keep ignoring her… he should focus on his own life.

But Archie knows he is throwing all his old plans over board the minute he is pulling her closer to his body than she has been for several years and he ignores the feeling of her tiny hand in his or how his fingers are touching her bare back right where her dress parts into a back neckline.

Their conversation is short, but it feels like he is talking to her for hours. He knew the moment she stepped on that stage that something wasn’t right and when she finally gives in and tells him about Evan, he isn’t really sure how to react.

“You don’t deserve this”. His words are honest but there is so much more that he wants to say in that moment. He could tell her that she deserves someone better than Evan. He could promise her that she will be happy again in her life. There are a lot of things he wants her to know and while he keeps thinking about them, he can feel the barrier between them slowly breaking apart.

It hurts to see her shattered like this and there is anger boiling in his veins when he realizes that her _perfect_ boyfriend really had the nerve to leave her on a wedding day.

“Let me be there for you.” His words are almost a beg while he gets lost in the distant look in her eyes. “As a friend”. It’s sad that he needs to add this last part to his question, but he can’t risk to accidently send some signals he isn’t supposed to follow through with.

Something in the look in her eyes changes for a second and before he knows it they are stumbling over each other’s feet and he prevents her from falling with pulling her so close to his chest, that he can feel her breathing against his skin for the fraction of a second.

“Okay… let us be friends”, she answers a bit breathless when she pulls away from him, her small hand still interlocked with hi own. “The first step would be for you to ask your date to dance with you instead of me”.

He knows she is right by the guilt building up in his chest as they both take a short look at the table where Luke, Sarah, Jerry and Laurie are still talking with each other. “And I’ll leave you alone now”.

Archie hesitates when she starts to pull her hand away from his. “You’ll let me know… when you need anything right?”

The look on her face says something else than the words on her lips. “Of course… now go to her”.

There is an empty feeling rising inside his body when she pulls her hand out of his grip and he has to watch her leave through the crowd, her blonde hair disappearing in the distance.

Betty has always been brave… but Archie hates it that she has to endure situations where she has to be brave in the first place.

The rest of the night is feeling like it is running through his fingers like fine sand. He dances with Laurie a few times, he gets back up on stage to perform another set of songs the wedding couple want them to play and he drinks a glass of champagne with his friends when the music slowly starts to fade away.

When they all walk to the street to wave Veronica and Reggie goodbye, he _finally_ spots Betty in the crowd. She is standing right beside Kevin and Fangs, her face hiding in the shadows of the night.

But even though there are hundreds of people around them and it’s almost impossible to focus on only one thing at the time, his eyes catch hers in between the loud noises and chaos around them. The expression on her face is unreadable and the exact same moment Laurie beside him interlocks her hand with his, Betty’s eyes drift back to the car of Reggie and Veronica.

Archie should be thankful for the things he has in his life. He has great friends, he has a nice girl at his side and he has a job.

There is a long list of things he could be thinking about right now.

But all he really sees is the unreachable beauty of Betty Cooper.

The party slowly starts to come to an end a few minutes after Reggie and Veronica left for their honeymoon and Archie walks through the many groups of people with Laurie by his side, searching for his friends to say goodbye for the night.

Jerry is the first one they find at the buffet and he greets them with a glass of white wine in his hands. “I think I’ll head up to my Hotel room”, he explains. “And if you’re searching for Luke and Sarah… I don’t think they’re available at the moment”.

“Why, where are th…”. Archie doesn’t even need to finish his question because the moment he follows Jerry’s partly angry partly drunk gaze, he spots his two best friends right in front of the stage on the other side of the pavilion, their arms wrapped around each other in a way he has never seen them before while they seem to deliver a Hollywood-like first kiss.

Laurie beside him starts to laugh quietly while Archie only smiles. “Fucking finally… that kiss was about five years in the making”.

“Oh yeah? And it will only last five whole minutes when I’ll find out that this guy is only playing with my sister’s feelings”. Jerry seems a bit helpless when he turn to his glass of wine again and all Archie can do is pat him on the shoulder in a friendly way. “Trust me, Jerry. When it comes to Sarah… Luke is a great guy”.

Jerry mumbles something inaudible before he starts walking to the Hotel lobby. “If you say so… I’ll see you guys tomorrow”. He disappears between the many people who are also on their way to their rooms and Archie takes one last look at his two friends at the stage, smiling at the sight of their undeniable happiness.

“Let’s go…”, Laurie beside him whispers when she pulls his hand towards the lobby. “Let’s give them some space”.

So they walk out of the Hotel as well, leaving a stressful day behind… but Archie can’t help but to look around one last time, secretly searching for some familiar green eyes in the crowd.

Something changes in that night that Archie can’t really explain.

Because when they reach his house and Laurie is giving him this look she always throws at him whenever they get undressed in the same room, but as soon as her lips are pressed against his, he realizes that the passion he used to feel before isn’t really there that night.

“It’s okay”, she says before he can even say anything. She just shrugs with her shoulders while she lays down beside him, an understanding look on her face. “I’m tired anyway”.

They don’t speak about that night again, partly because Laurie doesn’t really seem to care about his lack of affection towards her, partly because the both of them seem to fall into a routine that requires nothing more than a calm silence between them.

There isn’t love between them.

But there is love in Luke and Sarah’s eyes when the young couple returns to the Andrew’s house the next morning, their hands interlocked with each other, wide smiles on their lips.

Archie doesn’t need to ask what exactly happened between them because the answer is written on their faces when they walk past him like he is just a silent viewer of their adorable love story.

When Jerry returns from the Hotel around midday it seems like he eventually accepted the fact that one of his best friends is now kissing his little sister every two minutes.

“Don’t get me wrong Archie… but I’m kind of glad when this summer is over”, the long-haired guy confesses a few days later while him, Laurie and Archie are watching some lame football game in the living room. “It’s been fun living with you guys… but I’m glad when we all return to reality next month”.

“I know what you mean”. Archie only smiles when he stares back at the TV quietly, understanding all to well what Jerry wants to say with his words.

Archie loves his friends… but after two months of spending every single day with them, the house suddenly seems to get smaller each day and the need for change is getting bigger with every hour that passes by.

Archie tries to enjoy the prospect of another long month with his friends in town, but he finds himself escaping the filled house from time to time. His daily morning runs turn into some sort of ritual and a few days after the wedding, Laurie decides to join him.

They run through the whole town in the morning sun, their breaths getting stuck inside their lungs and even though it’s a bit strange to find someone walking by his side all of the sudden, Archie is glad that Laurie is someone who doesn’t except much words from him during their exercises.

Two weeks pass by and even though Archie is trying his very best to focus on his own life… sometimes Betty Cooper is crossing his mind. Her face seems to appear out of nowhere and he can feel a weird mixture of worry and sorrow every time he thinks back to the night at the wedding two weeks ago.

He knows he shouldn’t be concerned about her anymore, he also knows that Betty never really needed his help in the past. She has always been a strong person, someone who was always able to handle their own problems. But as much as Betty has always been a strong person, Archie never stopped caring or worrying about her nevertheless.

So he spends his days with remembering himself that the girl next door is holding him at distance for a reason and that it is probably the best if he accepts the fact that whatever Betty is going through right now is something she has to work through on her own.

That’s why he is almost stumbling over his own two feet when he finally sees her again.

It’s the last day of July when he is on his Tuesday morning run with Laurie, the cool morning air weaving in the whole town while they pass by an old, familiar diner.

At first he doesn’t see her and is only focusing on the ground in front of him but the sound of Pop’s front door opening is forcing him to take a look at the entrance for a second.

Maybe he was expecting to see Pop or some old classmates from High School… but the moment he sees Betty Cooper walking out of the little Diner he is so surprised that he almost trips over his own feet.

For a moment he considers to keep walking like nothing happened but the moment the blonde girl across the parking lot is looking in his direction, he knows he can’t just go without a short small talk.

“Hey, there’s Betty”, Laurie beside him seems happy to see her and he only nods while he tries to catch his breath, his whole body aching from the miles they just ran. “Do you want to say hello?”

“Why not… I could use a short break”.

It’s been two weeks since the wedding and somehow, Betty seems much more relaxed than the last time they all saw each other. She smiles at them while the Diner door falls shut behind her and she waits for them at her car, a coffee to go in her hands.

“Hey you two… already jogging so early in the morning?” There is a soft smile on her lips and a bit of joy hiding in her green eyes.

“Archie is totally crazy… he is doing this every single morning”, Laurie answers with a laugh in her voice.

“Yeah… I need to stay fit for my service”, Archie explains while Betty’s eyes flicker to him while he speaks, a moment of silence spreading around them. “And… why are you up this early?”

His question seems a bit silly but Betty only smiles, holding her coffee a bit higher in the air. “I’m on my way to work. The coffee in the Hotel is amazing… but nothing will ever top the coffee from pops”.

Archie can’t help but to look at her face the entire time, his eyes lingering on the way she speaks or how the morning sun is shining on her golden hair right now. She seems happy and that’s something that he is more than glad about. Relieve is rushing through his body while he realizes that Betty is doing okay.

“Alright, I really need to go or I’ll be late”, the blonde woman suddenly says and he gets ripped out of his thoughts when she opens the car door behind her, smiling at them one last time. “It was nice to see you again”.

“It was nice to see you too”, Laurie answers in her casual and friendly way and he watches how Betty gets inside the car, her fresh and happy appearance distracting him so much that he doesn’t even say goodbye.

They watch her drive away and keep standing in the parking lot a while longer until Laurie speaks again. “It was her, wasn’t it?”

His brows are furrowed when he looks at her. “What?”

“The girl who broke your heart a few years ago… it was Betty, wasn’t it? You never told me her name but… I think the look on your face is answer enough”.

Archie never spoke to Laurie about Betty directly, but he remembers the nights in Maryland when they discussed the basics of their relationship, none of them really speaking about the people that changed their idea of love in the first place.

“It was her”. His answer is honest and the moment a look of guilt hushes over his face, a light smile appears on Laurie’s face.

“Don’t look at me like that… I really don’t care”, is her simple reply. “I actually like Betty. She seems nice”. She hesitates for a moment before she adds: “And… I don’t know if you noticed… but she looks at you the same way you’re looking at her too”.

Her words catch him off guard and he can feel how a look of confusion appears on his face. “What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean”. The smile on her face gets a bit bigger as she rises her arm to stretch it in the morning sun. “You might be friends… but even I can feel the tension between you guys. And trust me, I’m really not used to feel like the third-wheel”.

Archie rolls his eyes, simply because he doesn’t know how else to react to her words. “You don’t know what you’re talking about”.

He starts to move, his feet carrying away from Pops parking lot and Laurie follows him, shaking her head with amusement. “Trust me… I know exactly what I’m talking about”.

They keep running back his house after that and even though Laurie doesn’t say anything else, he can feel her smug grin beside him all the way home.

**•••**

Laurie leaves the town two days later.

It’s the first day of August when Archie says goodbye to her in front of his house, helping her loading her huge suitcases in her car and she hugs him goodbye in a friendly way. “I’ll miss you, Archie. But I really won’t miss this town”, she laughs, doing a grimace as she looks around.

“I’ll miss you too”, he replies lightly. “Maybe I can visit you someday… I could…”.

“No, I don’t think this is a really good idea”, she interrupts him softly and she looks straight into his eyes when she explains the reason behind her words. “You and I… we had our fun. And I’m so glad we ran into each other in this bar in New Haven. You… helped me to get over a heartbreak I thought I would never survive. But we both know this between us… isn’t meant to last much longer. We might have been good for each other a long time… but I feel like this time is over now. I feel like… I can finally try to search for real love again”. She smiles softly while she reaches out and takes his hand, thankfulness lingering on her face. “But I just wanted to say thank you, Archie. For being there for me”.

Her words are a surprise to him and he stays silent for a long moment before he is finally able to answer. “I want to thank you too, Laurie. I’m so glad you came up to me in the Middleton Tavern that one night… thank you for that”.

There isn’t sadness between them when she hugs him goodbye once more, there is just the warm feeling of thankfulness between them.

“But we can still be friends, right?”, he asks with a silent laugh when she is letting go of him to turn to her car. “Just in case I’ll return to Maryland one day”.

“Of course”. She smiles up to him when she is sitting down on the driver’s seat, the window cranked down because of the warm temperatures. “And Archie… maybe you should think about doing the same thing as me”.

He takes a step back as she turns on the engine, his hands in the pockets of his shorts, a confused smile on his lips. “What do you mean?”

“You should search for real love again…”. Laurie turns her face to him one last time, a smile on her lips while she speaks. “… and who knows? Maybe you’ll find it in this town…”. She winks at him before she turns the steering wheel around and drives down the street, slowly disappearing into the distance until she is gone like a soft summer breeze.

Archie keeps standing there for what feels like forever, her words stuck in his mind until he finally goes back inside the house. He doesn’t need to ask what exactly she meant by that because he could read her thoughts by the way she was looking at him. She meant Betty.

But Archie can only shake his head about that statement.

Betty isn’t a love he has to find.

Betty is a love he already found and lost years ago.

**•••**

One week later, Reggie and Veronica return from their honeymoon and Reggie meets Archie at the Hotel bar the same night, raving about their beautiful trip to the Bahamas during the last three weeks.

The dark-haired guy looks happier than ever before when he buys Archie a drink. “Alright, I’ll stop talking about my vacations… there is something else I want to talk to you about”. He takes a sip from his own beer, a smile lingering on his lips. “Would you be interested in helping out at the Hotel gym down the road for this month?”

“Oh, you mean the gym you guys bought and never told me a single word about”, Archie replies with an amused smile.

“Exactly”. Reggie’s laugh sounds warm and loud. “Listen, the gym is used by the Hotel guests much more than we thought it would be and we only have this one man who is working there currently… I know you have to leave in four weeks, but we could really use someone there… at least until we find someone who is willing to take the permanent employment”.

Archie stares at the glass in his hands for a moment, the images of the renovated El Royale flashing through his mind. He always loved to spend his time there… and how on earth could he reject Reggie’s request?

“I’m in”, he says with a grin while Reggie seems to be more than glad about his answer.

“Really? That would be amazing, you’ll get a good amount of money and you don’t need to help out every day, I promise, it will be…”.

“Reggie, it’s fine”, he reassures, holding his drink in his direction. “I love the gym… I got a lot of training and practice during the last five years… I can do this”.

Reggie nods relieved when they finally clink their glasses. “Thank you, Andrews. I owe you something”.

**•••**

Archie’s life gets a bit more hectic once he has to spend his afternoons in the old _El Royale_ which now turned into a new and modern version called _El Royale Lodge_. Surprisingly there are a lot more people than Archie thought there would be and the old man he already met the one time he visited this place a few weeks ago turns out to be an excellent help in getting to know the building. Archie’s daily work is to explain the different sport equipment to the guests and most of the time he is standing in the huge boxing ring in the middle of the room, showing some kids the basics of the boxing he used to learn before and during his time at the Naval Academy.

And just like that the first week of August passes by while Archie commutes from the gym to the hotel stage every few days while he keeps starring at his calendar on the kitchen all from time to time, slowly realizing that his days here in Riverdale are counted. There are only three weeks left before he has to leave for his service and now that the official mission orders can arrive every day, the mood in the house seems to be highly explosive. Luke and Sarah spend most of their time together while Jerry seems to concentrate on his own stuff and Archie is glad that he gets to leave the house every day, now that he has a real reason for it.

On the second Monday in August, Archie runs into Jughead Jones at the local supermarket. The brunette guy smiles when they hug each other and they both fall into a simple and light small talk.

 _Jughead looks happy_ ; Archie realizes during their conversation about Jughead’s diploma at the University in Iowa.

„My girlfriend and I… we actually moved back to Riverdale last week“, Jughead smiles while he tells the big news. „I would have told you sooner, but we didn’t really have a chance to speak at Veronica and Reggie’s wedding, so I’m telling you now“.

„Jug, that’s amazing“.

„Yeah, it is“. Jughead grabs some fries out of the many cooling compartments while he speaks. „So what I’m really trying to say is that Jessica and I are having some kind of housewarming party this Friday. I already told a lot of people about it around here and I would love to see you there as well“.

„This Friday?“ Archie watches how Jughead loads his shopping basket with several bear crates.

„Yes, this Friday. You can bring someone with you, if you want“. He smiles at him while he searches for something else in the many shelves.

„Thank you Jughead… I’ll be there“.

„Amazing. I’ll send you the address“.

**•••**

The next four days are keeping Archie pretty busy with the work he has to do at the gym and the two performances of _Vortex_ on Tuesday and Thursday night.

When he leaves the house on Friday morning for his morning run the air is already warm while the summer sun is rising on the horizon. His head feels carefree while he runs throughs the town but the moment he reaches Pops, his thoughts returning to the day he met Betty right here with Laurie by his side. He can’t help but to take a look at the front door of the little diner, remembering how Betty was standing there with a coffee cup in her small hands.

And the moment he wants to cross the street again, he sees a familiar face through the big windows of the little Diner. It’s Betty again.

For a long moment he considers to keep walking like nothing happened but the warm weather is putting him in an unusual good mood so he turns around again, deciding that a short conversation with the girl next door shouldn’t be a problem.

While he steps through the front door the only thing on his mind is the thought that he just wants to know if Betty is doing alright. But the moment he spots her sitting right at the small counter and his eyes fall on the way she is sitting there with so much elegance and beauty, all the words he had prepared in his mind seem to leave his head completely.

She speaks to him before he can even say one word.

„Hey Archie“. Her soft voice puts a smile on his face.

„Hey“. He takes a step closer, sitting down beside her once she points to the empty seat beside her. „What are you doing here this early?“

„Coffee“, she simply replies with a small smile, her eyes falling to the filled cup in her hands. „And you’re on a morning run again?“

It’s the first time he actually thinks about the fact that he is sitting here in his sweaty clothes, his breath still going faster than usually. „Yeah… I’m sorry, I’m a bit sweaty, I probably…“.

„No, it’s okay“. There is a laugh hiding in her answer and he can watch how her green eyes shine up to him while she takes a sip from the coffee.

It stays silent for a moment while Archie takes a look at the grey trousers and white blouse she is wearing. „So you’re on your way to work again?“

„Yes.“

He doesn’t miss the happiness on her face while she answers. „You really like your job now, don’t you?“

„I do“. She takes another sip from her cup, brushing her hair behind her ear when she looks back at him. „I’m currently working on some new cases and I actually feel like I’m moving forward in several ways. It feels good to do something you like“. There is so much positivity in her words that her joy seems to rub off on him a little.

„I’m happy for you Betty. It seems like you’re doing alright“.

She looks back at him in a confused way, her dark-blonde eyebrows raised a tiny bit.

„I mean… with everything that went wrong at the wedding… I don’t know“, he starts but she interrupts him with a smile but a firm tone. „I really don’t want to talk about that right now“.

„That’s okay“.

A slightly more tense silence than before spreads around them and when she takes another sip of her coffee he decides to change the subject. „Did you hear about Jughead and Jessica? They’re living in Riverdale now“.

„Yeah, I met them a few days ago“. She smiles, obviously glad that they are talking about something else now. „They’re having a housewarming party tonight“.

„Will you go there?“ His question is simple but the answer which is written on her face seems like the opposite. „I’m not sure yet… I have to work late tonight and I don’t really know If I’m even welcome…“.

„You should go“, he interrupts her before she can list another ten reasons why this party would be a bad idea.

Her eyes wander to his face and he tries to underline his words with a comforting smile. „I really mean it. You should come too.“

There is still so much uncertainty painted on her face that he decides to add the following words. „We could go together. As friends“.

Now even more astonishment is appearing on her face. „I don’t know Archie…“.

„I mean it’s one of the last few events I can attend before I have to leave in three weeks, you know? And it would be great to see you there as well“.

This time his words finally seem to reach her and she stares at the table for a short time before she answers. „I’ll think about it.“

„Okay“. He smiles before he gets up from his seat, watching how her eyes follow him to the door behind them. „Then I’ll see you tonight… maybe“.

There is a quiet laughter coming over her lips as he leaves the diner and when the golden morning sun is shining on his skin he is absolutely sure that he managed to put an amused smile on Betty Cooper’s face.

**•••**

When Archie is working in the gym that afternoon, his eyes keep wandering to the clock on the wall every few minutes, an impatient and also tired feeling pulsating through his whole body.

And when it’s finally 6pm he leaves with a smile on his face, somehow feeling like he is a school boy who is excited about his very first party night during Middle school.

„I still can’t believe you’re going to a party without us“, Luke grouses when he comes home a few minutes later.

„Sorry but that’s an event for old classmates“, he answers with a smirk before he jumps under the shower.

And when he finally leaves the house at 8 and decides to walk the few streets to the address Jughead sent to him a few hours earlier the sun is already starting to disappear behind some rooftops around the neighborhood.

It’s a quiet and calm summer evening and moments like these remind Archie about the sadness he will face once he has to leave this town again.

He shakes his head when he reaches the residential complex, tries to focus on the present instead on the future.

„Archie! Nice to see you“, Jughead welcomes him when he rings the doorbell on the first door on the second floor and when he follows his friend into the apartment there is music playing in different rooms. There are already a few people here and the first familiar face Archie sees is Toni’s in the first room he enters. She is sitting on a chair in the small but homely kitchen, smiling at him when he is sitting down beside her. „Hey redhead. Good to see you“.

„Good to see you too, Toni. Where’s Cheryl?“

„Getting something to drink from the living room“, she smiles while her hand is resting on her very pregnant looking belly. 

„When is the due date?“, Archie asks out of curiosity.

„Next week“. She smiles when she looks down. „I can’t wait to carry the baby in my arms instead of in my belly“.

Before he can reply anything to that a wide smiling Cheryl Blossom is entering the room with two glasses of water in her hands. „And I can’t wait to finally see our baby for the first time… Hi Archie“.

„Hey Cheryl“.

„You’re sitting on my chair“.

He rolls his eyes a bit when he stands up, throwing his arms in the air in a volunteering way. „Alright, I’ll take a look at the rest of the apartment. I’ll see you guys later“.

Jughead and Jessicas’s apartment is small but cozy. There aren’t many colors on the walls or any crazy looking furniture, everything is looking a bit sterile which could be due to the fact that they just moved in a week ago.

Archie meets more familiar faces in the living room. There are Reggie and Veronica standing right beside the doorway, there are Kevin and Fangs sitting on the couch and there are even more people spread in the small room who Archie doesn’t really know. They are either people he never spoke to during High School or friends of Jessica.

Reggie is the first one who pulls Archie into a conversation and as the minutes pass by, more and more people enter the small apartment. Archie is focusing on the things Reggie almost needs to yell inside his ear at some point because the music and the people around them get louder with every minute, but his thoughts keep drifting away from time to time when his eyes search for some well-known green eyes in the crowd.

It feels like a whole hour has already passed by when Archie is taking a look at his watch again, the disappointment lingering in the back of his head. _She didn’t come._

But when he lifts his gaze again, only half listening to the things Reggie is yelling in his ear, he can see some familiar looking golden hair at the end of the room and as he turns his head a bit more he can see Betty Cooper talking with Jughead and Jessica in the doorway.

He tries his best to keep his attention on the things Reggie is saying about some new Hotel guidelines but his eyes are fixed on the girl at the other side of the room and the moment she turns her head in his direction and she looks him right back in the eyes Reggie’s voice is completely gone. „Reg, can I leave you for a second?“

When he turns to him to see his reaction there is a small smirk on his friends face. „Yeah, sure… go and speak to Cooper“.

„Thank you, Reggie“.

Betty is still stuck in a conversation with Jughead’s girlfriend when Archie is making his way through the crowd and when he finally reaches the end of the room both girls look up to him with a smile. „Hi“. He sounds a bit breathless while he runs his fingers through his hair.

„Hey“, is Betty’s reply while her fingers cling onto the small bag which is hanging over her shoulders. She is wearing a dark blue dress, a dress he’s never seen on her before but he tears his eyes away before she can notice the look on his face. „Do… do you want something to drink?“

It feels silly to ask something like this and somehow this whole evening seems to take Archie back into his old High School days.

“Sure”. Her answer is light just like the smile on her face.

„Okay“. He keeps standing there for a moment before he turns around, mending his way through the crowd once again. It feels kind of weird to be at a party like this, especially because Archie was expecting some sort of quiet _welcome-to-our-apartment_ evening. This doesn’t feel like a quiet evening, it feels like a party you’re sneaking out to when you’re fifteen.

When he grabs the first two filled cups with some beer in them and walks back to Betty she is already in a conversation with an old High school friend. Kevin Keller.

She turns around to Archie when he reaches her the cup, showing him a small smile. “Thank you”.

It’s silent for a moment before Kevin pulls her into another conversation and Archie watches them a bit amused. There is a thankful feeling inside his chest when he realizes how happy the blonde woman in front of him seems and how easily she is blending into the partying group of people.

Maybe Archie was a bit too afraid that she would get stuck in a whole of sadness and depression after her break-up with Evan at the wedding… but now that he is seeing her like this he realizes that worrying about her was more than unnecessary. Betty is a grown woman now and obviously able to handle every burden or problem on her own.

In the next few minutes Archie also realizes that Betty doesn’t really need his company right now. She is captured in her conversation with Kevin, both of them sitting down on the couch right between some other people after a few minutes and Archie decides that it’s probably for the best that he leaves the two alone for a while.

So he leaves with a short but carefree “I’ll see you later” and walks back to Veronica and Reggie who are still standing near the door somewhere.

“Archie! You’re the man I was looking for! Ready for some beer-pong in the kitchen?” Reggie sounds like a teenager when he grins at him.

“Beer-pong, Reg? You’re married and you want to play beer-pong?” Archie can’t hide the laugh in his voice.

“Why not? Who says I can’t have both?”

Veronica is only laughing when the dark-haired guy leads them to the kitchen and Archie gives in to a party night filled with beer-pong, loud music and the refreshing emotion of feeling like a much younger and more carefree version of himself.

It feels like they are spending hours in the small kitchen, about fifteen people gathered around the tiny kitchen table, cheering to anyone who is willing to play against the beer-pong master Reggie Mantel himself.

There is a black-haired girl who is playing against Archie at one point and the wide smile on her lips gets even bigger when she wins the round and introduces herself with a “Hi, I’m Anna… are you new in town?”.

That’s the first time Archie has to laugh out loud that night as he takes the hand she is holding out for him, shaking his head in disbelieve. “No… actually not”.

“I’ve never seen you around before… and I have to say that’s a shame”. It’s obvious that she is flirting with him but somehow her lovely words don’t even reach his ears.

He only smiles and nods, winking at her as a joke. “Maybe we’ll see each other sometimes. It’s a small town”.

“It truly is”. The grin on the girls face is wide when Archie turns back to the table, beginning a conversation with Reggie.

His head starts to feel a bit dizzy around 11pm and he can’t help but to search the crowd from time to time, trying to catch a glimpse of the girl he kind of invited here in the first place.

It’s funny how several girls try to start a conversation with him, but he seems to have lost his interesting in flirting at all this night. His attention is drawn to his friends around him... or his eyes are searching for a face in the crowd he wants to see above anyone else’s. 

He is having fun like never before but the more people he meets and the more beer he drinks the warmer the air around him seems to get. His body is leaning against the kitchen wall at some point and he only shakes his head when Reggie wants to shove another drink in his hands.

“I think I need to get some fresh air”, he confesses after a moment and he leaves the room before the temperature within these four walls can get warmer than his body heat. The hallway and the living room are just as crowded as well and while Archie wonders how on earth Jughead and Jessica found that many friends in such a short time he is fighting his way to the small balcony on the end of the living room.

When he opens the door and steps out on the small balcony the fresh air is filling his lungs like a cooling breeze and he walks to the railing, leaning against the cold iron, his eyes slowly getting used to the darkness around him.

The streetlights are framing the few trees and bushes at the sidewalk and the night is wrapping the quiet neighborhood in a fascinating and calming way. He takes a deep breath when he closes his eyes, the alcohol still lingering on his tongue when he listens to the dull sound of music coming from the apartment behind him.

And then he can hear the door of the balcony opening for a short moment and when the music is starting to fade into the background once again, he opens his eyes again, just in time to see Betty Cooper walking up beside him.

“Hello again”, she says with a neutral voice and she leans against the railing beside him, her arms crossing on the metal like his own.

“Hi”. He hates how hoarse his voice sounds form all the laughing and drinking while his eyes wander over Betty’s silhouette right beside him. The streetlights are painting her hair into a silver color, making her dark dress stand out in a breathtaking contrast to her skin.

“I heard you were playing beer-pong”, she says and when she looks up to him he turns his face away, a quiet laugh coming over his lips.

“Please… no accusations. It was fun”.

“Oh yeah? That’s why you’re hiding on a balcony?”

He doesn’t even have to look at her to know she has her eyebrows raised in amusement. “It got a bit… crowded in there”.

“I know”, she answers a bit quieter than before. “I didn’t even know that Jughead and Jessica know so many people… I feel like the whole town is having a nightly meeting in the living room”.

That’s the moment he finally dares to look at her again. “So that’s the reason you’re hiding out here as well? Too many people in there?”

There are shadows on her face when she turns to him. “I don’t really know… I mean I love to go out. I love to see many people. But… I feel like I can’t get enough air in there”. A quiet laugh is hiding behind her words but there seems to be real consternation in her eyes. “I think I’ll stay for a few more minutes… but I don’t know if I’m able to stand in this crowd much longer”.

He takes a long look at her, several questions running through his mind. There are a lot of things he could say right now.

He could tell her that it’s okay to leave a party before anyone else.

He could tell her that it’s not a great party after all.

But the moment he can see some stars reflecting in her dark eyes and a fresh summer breeze blowing against her hair, the following words leave his mouth before he can think too much about it. “Do you want to go to Pops?”

She stares at him for what feels like a lifetime while he starts to regret ever asking that dumb question in the first place. There is an urge inside him that wants to explain to her why he is even suggesting that.

_Pops has always been a quiet place._

_Pops has always been a place to clear your mind._

_A booth at Pops is the place we feel safest and most ourselves._

Somehow, he doesn’t even need to tell her all his reasons because she seems to understand them nevertheless.

„You know what? I would love to“, she answers with a grin hiding in the shadows on her face.

He might try to hide the surprise in his expression when they both turn back to the living room behind them. „Okay… then let’s go“.

It takes them five minutes to actually leave the apartment because it feels like your walking through a jungle instead of a group of people in their mid-twenties. They only say goodbye to Jughead and Jessica, thanking them for the invitation before they leave through the front door.

And the moment they reach the empty street, Archie realizes that he didn’t came with his car today. He turns to Betty in the right moment, just in time to see how she is nearly stumbling over her own feet on the sidewalk. She balances herself out before she can get anywhere near the ground and they both break out into loud laughter when her eyes meet his.

„I was about to ask you if you are able to drive us but I guess you just answered my question“, he states amused while she glares up to him, her hands straightening the fabric of her dress.

„I’m not drunk. I just had…“, her eyes stare to the starry sky above them, a question mark almost visible painted on her face. „… three drinks… I believe“.

„You believe?“, he breathes. „Common… we’ll walk. It’s not far, it will only take us five minutes“. He shakes his head in amusement and when he makes the first step forward he can see her following him right beside him on the sidewalk.

 _This is crazy;_ he thinks. _We’re inebriated and we’re walking to Pops in the middle of the night._

It stays silent between them for a while as they walk through the empty and dark streets of Riverdale and all they can hear is the sound of their steps on the ground.

Maybe it shouldn’t feel this relaxing to be here with her. But Archie doesn’t really care in that moment.

„Tell me something“, Betty suddenly says while they cross another street.

„What do you mean? Anything specific?“

„Just anything“, she replies, her voice a bit drawn out from the alcohol. „I haven’t really seen you in a while since… well since the wedding“.

_Ah, the wedding._

They cross another street again, almost leaving half of the route behind within a few minutes.

„Actually… we’ve seen each other in front of Pop’s remember?“, he states.

„Oh, right“. The memory of this one morning seems to cross both of their minds at the exact same time, images of him, her and Laurie flashing in his mind.

„Why wasn’t she at the party with you?“, Betty kind of blurts out the moment Pops appears at the end of the street right when they go around the last street corner. „I mean Laurie… I haven’t seen her tonight“.

His eyes fall to her face when she speaks and he can’t really see the emotions on her face in the darkness around them. But once they finally reach the small Diner and the bright neon lights seem to lighten up her whole body, he can see a rare but also well-known expression on her pretty face.

_Betty is jealous._

For a moment he would love to laugh about that but the whole situation is surprising him way too much to show a silly reaction like that. He waits for an answer until they finally step inside the building and Pop is greeting them with a warm smile, pointing at the many empty tables.

Maybe it’s a habit, maybe it’s just a coincidence that they sit down at the exact same table they used to sit on nearly everyday during their old friendship days but somehow it feels a bit nostalgic and nice to sit down at a place his younger-self used to sit. Betty doesn’t seem to notice the specialty that this table brings but Archie doesn’t really care about that right now. They order two milkshakes, the same ones they used to order every single day during High school and when Pops leaves to the kitchen Betty is starring at him across the table with slightly raised eyebrows. „And?“

„And what?“

„Laurie“, she explains like it’s the most obvious thing on this world.

„Oh, yeah right“. This time he doesn’t back away from the intensity of her eyes, he simply stares back at her, watches how the need for an answer seems to get bigger and bigger in the woman in front of him.

When Pop’s brings them their milkshakes and he takes the first sip, he decides to tell her about what happened with Laurie. „She left a few days ago… we’re not together anymore“.

His answer seems to surprise her a lot, judging the way her eyes fall to the milkshake in front of her. „Oh… I’m sorry about that“.

„You don’t have to be“, he simply replies. „This between Laurie and me… it was never a real relationship“.

„Really? Why not“, Betty asks with her eyes back on his face while she grabs her vanilla milkshake. „She’s pretty, she’s nice…“.

„I know. But we never really were a real couple in the first place. It was just…“.

„… just sex?“, Betty completes his unspoken sentence and the directness in her words baffles him for a moment.

„Yes“. His answer is dry but there is also a quiet laugh hiding in his voice. „It was never a real emotional connection… it was just physical“.

Her eyes are on him for a long moment while the only sound around them is coming from the quiet radio in the back of the room. When Betty speaks the next time her voice seems curious but there is also something lying underneath her words that he doesn’t quite understand. „Do these kind of relationships actually work?“ A laugh comes over her lips as she puts the milkshake down on the table. „I mean… no real emotions… no real connection“.

„Well, you do have a connection with this other person“, he replies with a lower voice this time while a part of him is trying to understand how on earth he got in this kind of conversation with his ex-girlfriend. „But it stays on a friendly level. That makes it easier when it’s over someday“.

Betty doesn’t say anything for a while but there are a lot of words lingering in the way she is looking at him across the table. „Well, if that’s the kind of stuff you’re looking for… what about this girl from the beer-pong table?“, she suddenly asks, her voice sounding like a perfect mixture of forced serenity and appropriate curiosity. „She seemed nice“.

That’s the first time he actually laughs over her question and she smiles when he leans forward a bit. „Are you seriously suggesting that I should start a friends-with-benefits relationship with a girl I barely know?“

She shrugs her shoulders, obviously very proud about her reply and the reaction she caused. „I’m just trying to be funny, Archie. You said you would be there for me as a friend and that’s my way of trying to be the same thing to you“. Her voice is soft when she explains the motive behind her jokes and that’s the first time that night it feels like he is able to look right at her real emotions again.

There are a lot of things he could answer to that right now but he goes with the most honest of them. „I was only speaking the truth at the wedding, Betty. You know I’m always there for you. I’m convinced there isn’t anything that could destroy our friendship in the long run“.

Even though there is still alcohol whirling around in both of their bodies she seems to understand that he is dead serious about everything he says. But somehow, all she can manage is a soft nod while she reaches for her milkshake again, this time leaning the glass against her lips, closing her eyes while she empties the rest of the glass in one go.

Maybe it’s the nostalgia of this place, maybe it’s the way the neon lights reflect on Betty’s golden hair. But Archie simply isn’t able to tear his eyes away from the girl in front of him when she puts the empty glass back down on the table between them, smiling at him in a happy but also drunk way.

He wants to tell her some stupid joke to change the mood into another direction but then he sees some tiny remains of the vanilla milkshake lingering right on Betty’s bottom lip and all he sees is her pretty face right in front of him.

„Betty…“. His voice gets a bit emotionless and low when he speaks again, his eyes still stuck on her lips while he speaks. „… there is…“.

Archie can’t really tell why the words won’t leave his mouth in a normal way, all he knows is that he is sounding like a total idiot while he tries to point on his own lips, showing her what he means.

But she only furrows her brows, leaning her head a bit to the side and he takes a deep breath while he decides that whatever he will do next won’t kill him in the end.

So he leans a bit more against the table between them, his right hand reaching out and for a moment he actually considers to wipe the milk cream away on his own. But this is Betty, and this isn’t right… or at least this could seem like some situation they both shouldn’t endure ever again.

That’s why he reaches for her own hand after a short moment of hesitation. Her skin feels soft under his fingers when he slowly guides her own hand to her mouth. There is a flicker in her eyes when he uses her fingers to wipe the rest of the vanilla milkshake from her lips and the moment it feels like her skin is burning against his own he is letting go of her again.

For a second it feels like his hand is burning against her skin and all he can think about is that this is how it must feel like when fire meets fire in some old, mystical saga. 

And when he isn't careful enough, this fire might burn over every fine line he created during the last four years. And he isn't ready to fight the fire on his own. 

When he leans back again he feels like he can breath again, but all he can think about is the way Betty is starring back at him in this exact moment. Everything around him seems to crash down on him in one second, the colorful lights around him, the taste of strawberry on his tongue, the smell of burgers in this room, the feeling of sitting in this exact booth at Pops again.

But all above there is the undeniable fact that Betty Cooper is sitting right in front of him, with her beautiful, green eyes looking back at him in an almost hypnotized way, her skin glowing in the dim light, her lips still parted from where he showed her to touch her, her dark dress wrapping around her body in the most attractive way he ever witnessed.

And then her eyes fall to her hand where the remaining milk cream is still lingering on her skin. It only takes a few seconds before she lifts her hand up, puts her finger to her mouth and Archie almost forgets to breath when she licks the shake from her skin.

He shouldn’t think about Betty’s attractive side at all, they closed this chapter on their complicated relationship years ago. But that doesn’t change the fact that he can feel his blood boil in every part of his body when her eyes meet his again. _Fuck._

„You know what, maybe we should leave“. Archie sounds hoarse when he speaks again and he clears his voice before he adds: „I mean it’s getting pretty late and… I have to work at the gym tomorrow“.

His words seem to pull her out of her paralyzed state and he stands up before he keeps looking at her any longer.

„You’re probably right“, she answers before she follows him and he walks in front of her for a reason, just so he isn’t able to look at her when they leave the Diner again.

He closes his eyes when they step back out on the parking lot and he is glad that the fresh night air is clearing his head a tiny bit. When he turns around to Betty she is looking at the empty street in front of them. „I’ll go back to the Hotel“.

Archie could go crazy when he realizes that he can’t let her walk home alone. „I’ll walk you to the Hotel“.

„No, you really don’t have to, I…“.

„You know I won’t change my mind. FBI trainee or not, I won’t let you walk home alone at night“, he replies with a strong voice and he takes the first step, silently pleading her to follow him.

They walk in absolute silence for the next five minutes and Archie keeps starring into the darkness, his eyes looking straight ahead. But every time he can hear the steps of blonde woman beside him, he gets reminded of the milkshake-moment they just witnessed and he shakes his head from time to time, cursing the moment he asked her to go to Pops earlier that night.

„You… you said you’re working at the gym“, Betty says after a long while, clearly trying to relax the tense and weird situation. „What do you mean with that?“

„I’m working at the Hotel gym this month“, he explains a bit slower than her. „Reggie asked me to do it. It’s just for the next three weeks before I have to leave“.

Another long moment of silence follows and Archie thanks the universe the moment the Lodge Hotel is appearing at the end of the street.

„Do you know where they’ll sent you?“, she asks, repeating her words from a fateful night in his living room weeks ago.

He shakes his head, still not able to look at her when they finally reach the Hotel. „The letters should arrive any day now“.

This time it’s Betty who stays quiet and Archie is about to say goodbye to her right in front of the Hotel until he can see some weird guys walking around in the lobby. There probably just some random people, maybe some employees, maybe new guests, but Archie makes the simple decision to bring Betty to her apartment door this time.

„Common… we’ll take the elevator“. He still sounds a bit harsh when he walks through the front door and steps into the one of the two elevators to his left, holding the door open until Betty is walking in behind him before she softly pushes one of the buttons on the wall. 

„You didn’t walk me all the way to my room last time“, she states a bit surprised while he stares on the elevator wall while they get transported into the third floor.

„Last time you weren’t living alone“. His answer is direct and it feels a bit like he is running away from his own problems when he almost runs out of the elevator the moment they reach the third floor.

„No need to bring up the whole Evan story“, Betty replies a bit harsher this time and the moment she walks past him is the first time he’s really looking at her directly. She doesn’t seem drunk anymore, neither does he.

But the shine of her eyes, the glow of her skin, the smell of her perfume, the look on her face… everything else is still the same cruel poison Archie would love to taste but he knows damn well that it would mean the death of him in the end.

 _Everything was going great;_ he thinks to himself when he watches how she pulls out a key of her small purse to open the Hotel door in front of them. _Everything was fine until tonight._

Because now all he can think about is the closeness of their bodies or the way her hair is dancing on her back when she finally opens the door in front of them and steps inside.

His feet seem to be rooted in the hallway and he watches how she turns on the light of a room that seems to be way smaller than he had imagined. „Didn’t you say you are living in an apartment?“

She turns back around to him, a defeated but happy smile on her face. „I was living in an apartment in the fifth floor… with Evan. But I guess I needed some change… and now I’m here“.

There are a lot of possible answers to that statement he could say to her. _Okay. Cool. Perfect. Sounds good._

But not one of them comes over his lips when she looks up to him with her green eyes and he can feel his chest tightening with every second that passes by.

„I’m… gonna go home now“, he finally brings over his lips, the words sounding heavy and low.

His eyes are on her face, trying desperately to find some kind of reaction from her side. But Betty only smiles back at him in a light way, slowly nodding while answering. „Okay“.

His lips are formed into a thin line when he takes a step back, taking one last look of the beauty of Betty Cooper. „Goodnight Betty“.

She leans her head against the opened door, something indescribable written on her pretty face. „Goodnight Archie. Thank you for bringing me home“.

 _Of course;_ he should say. _I would do it every time._

But he doesn’t say a word, he just simply nods when he walks away, leaving the ghost of his past standing there in this opened Hotel door he would have loved to walk through tonight.

_Something changed tonight._

But Archie knows that even though his whole body seems to burn with emotions on his way back down to the lobby that he can’t do anything about that. He will leave in three weeks. And only god knows where the Navy will send him for the next four years.

His way home is quiet and lonely and he stares into the darkness the entire time, feeling more conflicted than ever before.

He already knew that there are still some kind of feelings for Betty inside him.

But tonight he realizes he doesn’t only care for Betty… tonight he realizes that he also _wants_ her.

And that realization is slowly driving him crazy.

He doesn’t sleep much that night. Mostly because Betty is appearing right in front of his eyes every time buries his face in his pillow, the emotions and longing inside him reaching a level he knows he won’t be able to hide much longer. It feels like he is torn inside, not knowing what he should do about all the things that swirl around inside his head.

When he gets downstairs the next morning Luke Sarah and Jerry are standing around the small living room table, all of them holding some pieces of papers in their hands.

„Archie!“ Sarah is the first one who seems him.

„Hey, what’s going on?“

Luke turns around to him with a grin, reaching him a letter with United States Department of the Navy written in fine lines on the side of the document. „Open it… Sarah and I are stationed in Atlanta in Georgia. That’s more than 17 hours away from here“.

After one night without any real sleep these new information seem to hit Archie like a truck. He opens the letter a bit sleepy but the nervousness is rising in his body once he unfolds the papers in his hands.

It feels like several minutes pass by until he is able to read the sentences that are written right in front of his eyes and it feels like his heart is jumping right outside his chest when he finally finds the most important words on the document in his hands.

> _Location, 1. September 2025: Atlanta, Georgia, 151 6th St NW_

„I’m in Atlanta too“, he mumbles with pure shock in his words. „We’re all in Atlanta.“

When he looks up Sarah and Luke are already smiling at him and before he can react to these news they are all sharing a short but tight group hug. „This is unbelievable… I can’t believe we’re actually stationed at the same place“.

Archie sits down on the couch, his eyes still starring at the letter in front of him. „We’re actually leaving…“.

That’s the moment it finally hits him.

_I’m leaving. I’m leaving Riverdale again._

And suddenly all the joy he felt seconds ago is leaving his body and all that’s left is a cruel mixture of sadness and regret. Somehow, September always seemed so far away but now that he is holding the final papers in his hands it feels like he can see the finish line right in front of him.

Luke is the first one who seems to notice the look on his face. „Hey Andrews, what’s wrong? These news are amazing!“

„I know…“, he answers a bit too fast, his voice drier than it used to be. „I just…“. He searches for the right words to say for a long time, his eyes tearing away from the letter while he looks around the room.

And after starring at the old furniture and the walls for an eternity, his eyes fall on the boxes on the side of the room, the pictures of him and Betty still lying right on top.

„Luke, what if I’m not ready to leave Riverdale again?“ The question slips over his lips before he can thing about it too much and when he meets the look of his best friend beside him there is nothing but understanding written on the blonde guys face.

„You need to say goodbye to this town“, Luke answers slowly. „Do everything you want to do before you leave… enjoy your remaining days here. Live life to the fullest. Do all the things you always wanted to do but you never dared to do before. Speak to your friends… tell them all the things that are going through your mind. Do everything you know you will miss when you’re gone“.

Luke’s words reach him like an echo from the other side of a long tunnel, but Archie is listening to each word like it’s his last chance to listen to him ever again.

„Say goodbye for good this time, Andrews“, Luke adds quietly. „Say goodbye for the last time“.

Archie stares at the pictures on top of the box while the voice of his best friend seems to fade away and there is nothing more but the beating of his heart ringing right in his ears.

And suddenly he knows what he has to do. Something that was unavoidable the moment he saw some familiar face through his bedroom window months ago.

He has to say goodbye to Betty Cooper.

And the realization of that seems to knock the air right outside of his lungs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't reread this chapter because I'm going straight to bed now. My day at work was crazy and I'm super tired!   
> I hope you guys liked this chapter! Things are starting to get a bit heavy now and Archie seems to notice that too.   
> The sexual tension is back, just like the jealousy and some realizations from Archie's side.   
> The next chapter will be a good one, I promise! 
> 
> I wish you all a great day/night!   
> Stay healthy! ❤️


	13. Cardigan

****

**"But I knew you'd linger like a tattoo kiss**   
**I knew you'd haunt all of my what-ifs**   
**The smell of smoke would hang around this long**   
**'Cause I knew everything when I was young**   
**I knew I'd curse you for the longest time**

**Chasin' shadows in the grocery line**   
**I knew you'd miss me once the thrill expired**   
**And you'd be standin' in my front porch light**   
**And I knew you'd come back to me."**

Betty Cooper has always been good at hiding.

Hiding her feelings from the people around her and hiding her feelings from herself as well.

Maybe it’s some kind of self-protection, maybe it’s a part of her sometimes so unfathomable personality. Maybe it’s just some natural instinct her mother taught her to use whenever some feelings got in the way of what is really important.

That’s why Betty is handling the current situation with much more grace than she thought she would be. With Evan gone the first few days in her hotel apartment seem empty and long. She hates the feeling of sleeping alone in this big king-sized bed, she hates that his side of the room seems empty with all his clothes gone.

Betty tries to call him two days after the wedding, her fingers clinging around her phone, her eyes starring at the wall in her apartment while she is listening to the dull beep-noise on the other side of the line.

_Evan doesn’t take the call and he doesn’t call back either._

And even though Betty can understand why he doesn’t want to talk to her, it still sucks to be left with nothing but his loose wish that he wants her to figure out what she wants.

When Betty returns to her office the next week, she spends to whole days with starring on the paperwork on her desk, her thoughts circling around the wedding night in an endless loop.

On Wednesday Charles steps into her office, closing the door behind him before he meets her with a compassionate smile. “Betty, we need to talk… you can’t keep acting like this… at least not at work”.

 _That’s easy to say for someone who has been in a healthy relationship for the last three years;_ she thinks, rolling her eyes while she leans back in her chair. “I’m working on it, Charles. It’s not that easy okay?”

“I know that”, he replies. “And I’m always here for you if you want to talk about any of your problems”.

She stays silent, her fingertips tapping on the desk in front of her. It would be easy for anyone else to just openly speak about their feelings… but not for Betty Cooper.

“You can take the rest of the week off if you want”, Charles adds after a while. “Maybe it will help you to clear your mind or figure a few things out, you know?”

“Charles, I really don’t think this is a good idea, I’m fine”.

“You’re not _fine_ ”. There is a sad smile on his face when he speaks. “And there is nothing to argue about, I’m sending you home now, end of the discussion.”

Betty leans forward in her chair, her mouth falling open but before she can say anything against that, he adds: “And with home I don’t mean the hotel you’re living in right now… maybe it will be a good idea to visit mom”.

“You’re really sending me home to mom?” There is a shocked laugh hiding in her reply. “Seriously?”

“I’m dead serious”. The smile on his face seems hopeful. “I’ll work on your cases until next week.”

“Charles…”.

“Go”. There is a serious expression flickering on his face and she finally gives in.

She grabs her bag and glares at him before she leaves the office but right before she steps out of the room, she adds a quiet and soft spoken “Thank you”.

**•••**

Betty hates to admit when someone else is right about something… that’s why she won’t admit that visiting her mom and FP for two days actually feels like a nice break from her broken love-life. She enjoys the moments when they are all sitting at the dinner table, talking about Jellybeans homework, she loves it to help her mom to cook in the kitchen. Sometimes you have to return to your roots to find out where exactly you want to go next and sleeping in her old bedroom feels like the ultimate way to travel back to High school, alias the time and place where her life changed forever.

She keeps the curtains on her window closed during the two days she is sleeping there, not really bothering to wonder why she isn’t ready to see Archie on the other side of the glass. Because the answer to that would probably be something that would confuse her even more and right now she is focusing on being able to stand on a solid ground, instead of jumping into the turbulent sea of her past.

She leaves the Jones and Cooper’s house on Saturday and the moment she returns to her apartment in the fifth floor of the Lodge Hotel, she realizes how much it hurts to step into an almost empty room.

“Would it be possible to get another room?” She meets Veronica in the lobby the same day, a look of guilt on the blonde girl’s face. “I mean I can move back to my mom as well, I don’t want to cause any problems here…”.

“B… you can stay in this hotel for the rest of your life if you want to”, Veronica answers with a smile before she pulls her into a tight hug. “Do you want something bigger or a smaller apartment this time?”

“Actually, I would be fine with a normal guest room”, she admits honestly. “Thank you, Veronica”.

She moves her stuff to a new and smaller room on the third floor the same day, immediately feeling lighter and somehow more relaxed than before. It’s a good change to sleep in a new environment, a place where only her invisible footprints seem to linger. Betty calls Evan that evening, but all she can hear is the usual sound of his voicemail.

When Betty returns to work on Monday, she knows things will be better than they have been before. She knows it by the way she is actually feeling happy when she is walking through the hallway, greeting the people she meets at the small coffee corner. And when she is reaching her office the thirst thing she does is walking over to the window and opens it with a fast move. The fresh summer air is filling her room immediately and she closes her eyes for a moment, turning back to her desk. When she finally takes a look at her cases again, there aren’t any negative thoughts anymore. The only thing left is the calming feeling of being at the right place at the right time and she dives into work, returning to the feeling she always used to get whenever she was trying to help people by solving some mysteries.

**•••**

When Betty is on her way to work the next day, she decides to change something on her daily morning routine. It’s something she thought about for a while now and when she drives past Pops this time, she finally decides to park her car in the parking lot. Pops has always been some kind of home for Betty and that’s the exact feeling she gets when she orders a coffee to go after stepping into the small diner, the smell of pancakes clouding her senses.

The coffee at Pops tastes better than the one she can get at the FBI apartment and that hasn’t anything to do with the fact that walking in Pops every morning is making her feel like a younger and more carefree version of herself.

And just like that, getting a coffee at Pops is part of her morning routine and Betty is making her way back up, out of the hole she fell into over a week ago.

**•••**

The last day of July is a Tuesday and Betty is walking out of Pops at 8 in the morning, a hot coffee cup in her hands when she sees Archie jogging down the street. And it only takes a second until she spots the pretty girl beside him. Betty smiles when they look in her direction, even though she prays that they don’t actually plan on having a conversation with her.

It might seem cruel, but Betty is feeling way to happy right now to risk a small talk with someone who is able to push her back into a place filled with feelings she doesn’t want to face right now.

But she realizes that she doesn’t really have a choice when they make their way over to her car. “Hey you two… already jogging so early in the morning?”

They fall into a silly small talk, talking about sport and coffee while Betty is trying her best to be polite, even though seeing Archie again for the first time after the wedding feels like a punch in the stomach. And like all of it wouldn’t already be enough, this beautiful girl is standing beside him like some sort of goddess.

 _This isn’t jealousy;_ Betty tells herself. _It’s more like… not really liking having to face them right now._

“Alright, I really need to go or I’ll be late… it was nice to see you again”. Her words seem a bit too nice but she doesn’t really care when she gets inside her car, finally escaping this weird situation.

“It was nice to see you too”, Laurie says right before Betty can shut the door and she smiles at them before she drives off, her heart sinking to her feet when she takes one last look at the couple through the rear mirror.

**•••**

Betty tries to call Evan again two days later and when she gets send to the voicemail again, she tries something different. It takes a moment until she finds the right number in her phone, but after a few seconds she can hear a familiar voice on the other end of the line. “Hey Betty! How are you?” Jane McKenzie sounds happy when she answers the call and after a few sentences of small talk, Betty decides to tell Jane everything that happened at the wedding two weeks ago.

“So, you guys are broken up?” Jane sounds more than shocked.

“I… have no idea”, Betty confesses. “I mean he left, he said I should find out what I want. And now he’s in New York and he isn’t answering any of my calls… it’s a mess”.

Jane stays silent for a moment. “Do you miss him?”

That question hits Betty a but unprepared and she has to take some time to really think about her answer. “I miss the good times we had together”, she finally admits. “I miss how carefree everything felt when we were in New Haven. But I don’t really miss the last few months, you know? It feels like everything in our relationship went south when we moved to Riverdale”.

It feels surprisingly good to speak these words out loud because Betty has been trying to avoid the truth for a good amount of time now.

“Okay… and what about Archie?”, Jane asks.

“What do you mean?”

“Do you still have feelings for him? I mean… Evan didn’t break up with you without any real reason. Is there something going on between you and Archie?”

“No”. A nervous laugh comes over Betty’s lips. “Of course not.”

“But do you have feelings for him?” Jane repeats her question in a calm tone and Betty takes a deep breath before she answers. “I guess that’s the problem, Jane… I have no idea”.

“Well maybe… you should do what Evan wants you to do”, Jane slowly replies. “Maybe you should figure out what Archie means to you”.

“That sounds horrible, Jane… that sounds like I’m the worst person on this planet. I mean… I love Evan”.

“You do? Then why didn’t you follow him to New York?” Jane’s question is simple but the answer to that isn’t easy at all.

Betty stays silent and Jane seems to understand that arguing about this topic isn’t the right solution right now. “I’m not telling you what you should do, Betty. I’m just trying to help you”.

“I know”. A comfortable silence follows for a while. “Thank you, Jane”.

“There is nothing to say thank you for”.

**•••**

Even though Betty isn’t exactly sure what she is doing with her broken love-life, every other part of her life is going pretty well during the first week auf August…

… until the Friday morning when she meets Archie Andrews at Pops again, this time without his girlfriend by his side.

He walks into the little diner with the golden morning sun surrounding his silhouette and even though their conversation isn’t very long, it feels exciting to talk to him alone. The blonde girl isn’t really sure how to talk to her old best friend anymore, knowing that they seem to dance around every topic that could lead to a meaningful conversation between them.

It’s like her and Archie are walking on a thin layer of ice and the moment she dares to think about the way he is looking in his sport shirt right beside her it’s almost unavoidable that the ice underneath her will break apart.

The coffee feels warm on her lips when they talk about her work and the positive changes she went through and a part of her feels proud to speak about how well everything seems to go for her right now. Betty never liked the compassion and sympathy from other people… maybe that’s why she really doesn’t want to agree to go to Jughead and Jessica’s party as well.

„We could go together. As friends“. Archie has such a warmth in his voice that seems to hypnotize her for a moment.

“I don’t know Archie…”.

„I mean it’s one of the last few events I can attend before I have to leave in three weeks, you know? And it would be great to see you there as well“. He doesn’t really seem to notice how his seemingly harmless words are affecting her, involuntarily reminding her about the fact that now matter how hard she will try to avoid thinking about him… Archie will leave at the end of the month.

Maybe that’s the reason she changes her mind. „I’ll think about it.“ 

„Okay“. He smiles before he gets up from his seat. “Then I’ll see you tonight… maybe“. 

She watches him leave with a soft smile on her lips, telling herself over and over again that this is the right thing to do.

**•••**

The party turns out to be a lot more crowded than Betty thought it would be. She enters the apartment around 9 and immediately gets pulled into a conversation with Jughead and his girlfriend and Betty decides that no matter how many unknown faces around her, she will try to have fun tonight. It doesn’t take long until she finds Archie in the crowd and even though she is telling herself that she wasn’t looking for him in the first place, she can’t help but smile when he makes his way through the many people.

“Hey… do you want something to drink?” He sounds a bit breathless while she tries to ignore how good he looks in his dark clothes.

“Sure”.

Jessica and Jughead leave into the kitchen the same moment Archie makes his way to the drinks at the other side of the room and before Betty gets the chance to look around Kevin Keller is appearing right next to her, pulling her into tight hug. “It’s so nice to see you here!”

When Archie returns, he looks like he doesn’t really know what to say. There is a short and awkward silence between them three of them which seems to get swallowed by the pop music in the background before Archie excuses himself with a soft smile and a short: “I’ll see you later”.

And so Betty gets lost in the party for a long time, switching from different kinds of conversations every time some new familiar face shows up right in front of her. She keeps talking to Kevin for a long while before she starts a small talk with Fangs and after half an hour she finds Veronica in the hallway and they end up talking about her honeymoon for another few minutes.

Betty was never a party-person. She used to like birthday parties, she used to love school events back in High school. But she never felt the need to spend her whole weekend in clubs or crowded house parties like this one.

She realizes that her opinion about all of that didn’t really change over the last few years because when she finally decides to search for Archie after a whole hour, she finds him in the kitchen, surrounded by many, pretty girls. At first Betty smiles when she watches how he wins a round of beer-pong but the grin on her face fades a bit when a black-haired girl tries her best to flirt with Archie in an obvious way.

Betty would love to roll her eyes at this spectacle because common – _isn’t this girl like five years younger than Archie?_ But there is an uneasy feeling tightening inside her chest and she turns around before he can see her, disappearing back into the living room.

There are so many people in the apartment that Betty feels like she is drowning in a sea of unknown faces before she returns to Kevin and Fangs on the couch, squeezing herself on to a tiny part of the seating accommodation that is still free. Kevin hands her a cup filled with some indefinable alcohol mixture in it and she drinks without questioning her decision, trying to fill the whole that just appeared in her chest.

She listens to Kevin and Fangs conversation with a half-smile on her face, totally lost in her thoughts while she doesn’t even hear what they are talking about.

Right when she is about to make the decision to leave the party, she can see some familiar red hair in the crowd in front of her and when she lifts her gaze a little bit, she can see no other than Archie Andrews making his way to the end of the room right before he opens the door to the small balcony and steps outside.

It only takes Betty one single second before she is standing on her own two feet.

“Where’re you going?” Kevin is calling after her when she is already in the middle of the room.

“I need to get some fresh air”.

Her answer isn’t a lie because the many people in the small room were driving her crazy during the last hour and Betty is glad that she is able to escape that chaos for a little while.

It’s fresh and dark outside when she steps out on the balcony and walks up to Archie after a short moment of hesitation. “Hello again”.

“Hi”. His voice sounds hoarse from all the laughing and drinking and she stares straight ahead when she can feel his eyes on the side of her face.

“I heard you were playing beer-pong”, she says while she tries her best to sound as casual as possible.

“Please, no accusations. It was fun”, he replies immediately.

“Oh yeah? That’s why you’re hiding on a balcony?”

“It got a bit crowded in there”.

“I know”, is her soft reply and they both turn to the dark street in front of them, both enjoyed the calm silence. “I didn’t even know that Jughead and Jessica know so many people… I feel like the whole town is having a nightly meeting in the living room”.

Now she can feel his eyes on her again. “So that’s the reason you’re hiding out here as well? Too many people in there?”

There are shadows on his face when she turns to him. “I don’t really know… I mean I love to go out. I love to see many people. But… I feel like I can’t get enough air in there. I think I’ll stay for a few more minutes… but I don’t know if I’m able to stand in this crowd much longer”. Her answer is the truth and her words get carried away with a soft night breeze.

There is a question lingering in his eyes and before she is able to say something, he is speaking it out loud. “Do you want to go to Pop’s?”

The way he is saying these words takes her back to the time he used to ask her this question almost every single day during their childhood and a smile as old as those memories appears on her shadowed face. “You know what? I would love to”.

He seems to notice the relief on her face, but he doesn’t say anything about it. “Okay… let’s go”.

**•••**

Half an hour later she is sitting in a booth at Pop’s, a vanilla milkshake on the table in front of her, the neon-lights reflecting on the red hair of the man sitting in front of her. Everything feels a bit surreal… being back here, sitting in a booth at Pop’s like no time has passed by. It’s strange to feel like a teenager again and the alcohol in her blood isn’t really helping in that moment.

Everything feels light, everything feels easy when she is starring at Archie on the other side of the table, waiting for his answer to her question about Laurie.

Originally it wasn’t her intention to ask about Archie’s girlfriend that directly, but Betty is at a point in her life where tiptoeing around important topics isn’t helpful anymore. She is here and she has the chance to do something about the many questions inside her head while one of them seems to be Jane McKenzie, whispering in her ear that she has to find out what exactly she wants in life… and who she is seeing on her side all those years to come.

“Laurie left a few days ago… we’re not together anymore”.

His answer surprises her and judging the look on his face he can already see that on her expression. “Oh, I’m sorry about that”.

“You don’t have to be. This between Laurie and me… it was never a real relationship”.

Images of the pretty girl flash through Betty’s mind and she remembers the day she saw Laurie on the wedding last month. “Why not? She’s pretty… she’s nice…”.

“I know. But we never really were a real couple in the first place. It was just…”. Archie doesn’t seem to know how to finish his own sentence, so she tries to help him out a bit.

“… just sex?” Her directness seems to baffle him for a moment.

“Yes…”. His answer is dry but there is also a quiet laugh hiding in his voice. „It was never a real emotional connection… it was just physical“. 

On the inside Betty winces a bit by the image of Laurie and Archie making out like teenagers, on the outside she is acting like all of this isn’t bothering her at all. Instead, she is even trying to make fun of the whole situation. “Do these kinds of relationships actually work? I mean… no real emotions… no real connection?”

“Well, you do have a connection with this other person”, he replies with a lower voice this time. “But it stays on a friendly level. That makes it easier when it’s over someday”.

A part of Betty is lost in memories about her own break-up with Archie years ago, but the other part of her can’t help but to draw the conversation into a more pitiful direction.

„Well, if that’s the kind of stuff you’re looking for… what about this girl from the beer-pong table?“, she asks slowly, her voice sounding like a perfect mixture of forced serenity and appropriate curiosity. „She seemed nice“. _Damn it, why can’t I just shut my mouth?_

That’s the first time he actually laughs over her question and he leans forward a bit so she can see the chocolate color in his eyes. „Are you seriously suggesting that I should start a friends-with-benefits relationship with a girl I barely know?“

She shrugs her shoulders, obviously very proud about her reply and the reaction she caused. „I’m just trying to be funny, Archie. You said you would be there for me as a friend and that’s my way of trying to be the same thing to you“. That’s not the whole truth but Betty isn’t ready to admit that jealousy might play a big part in that too.

„I was only speaking the truth at the wedding, Betty. You know I’m always there for you. I’m convinced there isn’t anything that could destroy our friendship in the long run“. 

Even though there is still alcohol whirling around in both of their bodies she seems to understand that he is dead serious about everything he says. But somehow, all she can manage is a soft nod while she reaches for her milkshake again, this time leaning the glass against her lips, closing her eyes while she empties the rest of the glass in one go. 

When she puts the empty glass back down Archie’s eyes meet hers again, but this time something is different in the way he is looking back at her.

„Betty…“. His voice gets a bit emotionless and low when he speaks again, his eyes stuck on her face while he speaks. „… there is…“. 

She is sure that her confusion is written all over her face when she looks back at him but something about the look in his eyes is making her freeze in place.

Her breath is almost getting stuck in her lungs when she watches how Archie leans against the table between them, his right hand reaching out for her. _What the hell is going on?_

For a moment it looks like he wants to reach out for her face but then he grabs her hand, his fingers feeling rough on her skin and she is almost paralyzed when he guides her own finger to her mouth and they are wiping away some of the milkshake that was left on her lip.

When he leans back again she is still starring at him, the feeling of his hand around hers still present in her mind and she takes a deep breath, trying to shake that emotion away. Oh god.

Her eyes fall on her finger where the milk cream is still lingering on her skin and for a long moment she just stares down, her head completely empty.

Jane wanted me to find out what I feel for Archie… but how am I supposed to know that if a simple touch like this is confusing me so much?

She decides to shut out all voices inside her head when she lifts her hands and licks the milkshake from her finger. But when she lifts her eyes again and meets the intense stare from Archie’s side, the whirling feeling inside her stomach gets even worse.

„You know what, maybe we should leave“. Archie sounds hoarse when he speaks again and he clears his voice before he adds: „I mean it’s getting pretty late and… I have to work at the gym tomorrow“. 

His words seem to pull her out of her paralyzed state and she stands up the same moment he leaves the table as well.

„You’re probably right”.

**•••**

The walk back to the Hotel feels strange.

There is the darkness around them that seems to cloud Betty’s ability to think straight and there is the weird feeling of attraction between her and Archie that neither of them is willing to talk about while they make their way through the neighborhood, her heels clicking on the ground beneath her. It only takes a few minutes until she breaks the silence, a short question about his new job at the gym hanging in the air.

The moment Archie explains that the job is just for the last three weeks before he has to leave for the Navy the mood seems to change a bit and Betty can tell that Archie is acting weird around her. It’s the way he isn’t looking at her the entire way to the Hotel, it’s the way he is walking a bit faster than usual, it’s the way he is staying with her until they are finally right in front of her Hotel door on the third floor.

„Didn’t you say you are living in an apartment?“ His voice sounds as distant as his presence as she opens the door to her room.

„I was living in an apartment in the fifth floor… with Evan. But I guess I needed some change… and now I’m here“. Her answer seems to catch him a bit off guard while she realizes that he can’t even look her in the eyes anymore.

“I’m gonna go home now”, he finally brings over his lips, the words sounding heavy and low.

When she answers he finally dares to take a look at her again. “Okay”.

His eyes seem a bit darker than usual while his eyes linger on her face the entire time before he finally turns away. “Goodnight Betty”.

“Goodnight Archie. Thank you for bringing me home”. He is already down the hallway when she answers and she closes the door when he is out of sight, heavy breathing circling through her lungs.

“Damn it”, she mumbles when she closes her eyes, leaning against the door behind her back.

That’s the moment Jane’s and Evan’s words return to her mind and that’s the very first time Betty starts to realize that asking herself what exactly she wants might not even be the problem here.

Because she already knows the answer. She knows damn well what this attraction between her and Archie really is.

She knows that look on his face he gave her at Pop’s just minutes ago.

She knows that feeling of electricity on her skin whenever they accidently touch.

She knows the reason for the guilt in the back of her head.

The feelings between her and Archie never really left… but Betty doesn’t really know what she has to do with that information.

 _He will leave for the Navy in three weeks;_ she reminds herself. _And I have someone waiting for me in New York._

**•••**

Betty tries to call Evan the next day. He doesn’t answer the call, he doesn’t call back.

And Betty starts to wonder if the only thing he wants to hear is her voice in person.

_Maybe he doesn’t want to talk over the phone… maybe he is just waiting for my decision to move to New York with him._

But Betty also realizes that she isn’t ready to make a big decision like this. Partly because she isn’t sure if she wants to leave Riverdale so soon… and partly because there seems to be an invisible string pulling her to this town and she isn’t sure if she is ready to cut that rope apart yet.

It feels like she is finally able to breath again, now that she is having fun at work again and is also reconnecting with her old friends from high school.

She meets Veronica on Sunday and they eat at in her and Reggie’s huge apartment. On Monday Betty is drowning in new cases at work but for the first time in forever it feels like she is up to the task. On Tuesday she is getting some food at Pop’s and even though she tried her best to hide Archie in the back of her mind… the memories of the night at Jughead’s party come to the surface when she takes a look at their own, special booth.

It doesn’t matter how much she tries to push the memories of him back down… they always seem to return whenever she is alone for a bit too long.

And so Betty gives in and visits the Hotel lounge on Wednesday evening, just in time to see the last few songs of _Vortex_ on stage. She smiles when Sarah jumps into Luke’s arms when the band leaves the stage after their performance, but when Betty makes her way through the room to greet Archie, he seems much more repellent than she expected.

It’s a bit weird to see him after late-night-talk at Pop’s a few days ago but Betty is determined to speak to him either way. But as soon as she reaches the end of the room and he jumps down from the stage he doesn’t seem all to happy to see her standing there.

“Don’t get me wrong Betty, I would love to talk to you, but I’m really tired and I need to bring the guitar home”. His words sound a bit wooly when he speaks and when she sees the distant look in his eyes, she realizes that he really isn’t in the mood for small talk right now.

“Okay… then…”, she searches for the right words for a moment while he stares to the ground between them. “… I’ll see you around, I guess”.

“Yeah”. There is a weak smile in the corner of his mouth, and he turns around to leave the lounge before she can even say another word. _That was weird._

The blonde girl tries not to think about Archie’s negative mood for too long… but that doesn’t stop her from dreaming about the distant look in his eyes in the same night.

On Thursday, Betty visits someone she hasn’t really talked to in a long time. Kevin Keller.

The way to his and Fangs apartment is short and after a five-minute car ride Kevin is waving her through the front door of their little apartment, welcoming her with some sweets and coffee. “Fangs is still at work, but he’ll be home in a few minutes”, he explains when they both sit down at the small but beautiful kitchen area. “Coffee?”

“Oh yes, please”.

He hands her a filled cup with a smile and they start to talk about Jughead’s party for a while, falling into a light-hearted conversation about the town in general right after. Twenty minutes pass by as fast as a few seconds while Betty listens to the stories Kevin has to tell and she laughs whenever he is complaining about some little details that seem to bother him about sharing an apartment with Fangs. “I love him Betty. I really do. But god, he is driving me crazy sometimes”. They both laugh over his words and Betty stares into her empty cup for a moment, thinking about the last time she ever felt such strong emotions for someone like Kevin feels for Fangs.

“Can we talk about the most obvious topic now, Betty?” Kevin suddenly asks and her eyes drift back to him, a confused expression on her face. “Huh?”

“Archie”, he explains with a soft smile. “Or Evan… or your love life in general”.

She rolls her eyes. “To be clear… Archie isn’t part of my love life”.

Kevin’s eyebrows shot in the air. “Common… you can fool yourself but not me. I saw you two at Jughead’s party… there was… tension between you two”.

“Tension?”

“Yes”. He nods with a smirk on his face. “So, tell me… what are you planning to do about that?”

“Nothing”. Her answer is short and simple and they both lean back on their chairs at the same time. “He’ll leave in… in what… in two weeks, I guess? And I will return to Evan… or at least I’ll speak to him. We can’t keep living like this… I need to talk to him… even if that means I have to drive all the way to New York”.

“Okay, you’ll drive to New York”, Kevin repeats slowly. “And what will you tell him?”

Betty’s eyes fall to the coffee again, a short silence spreading between them. “I…”.

She can hear the clock ticking at the kitchen wall behind her while she realizes that she doesn’t have a good answer to Kevin’s question.

“You don’t know”, Kevin answers for her but there isn’t a single hint of reproach in his voice. He lets out a deep breath before he adds: “Listen Betty, I have been a good friend of yours for a long time now… and I know we haven’t really talked that much during the last few years but I’m still able to read you like an opened book. So I’m pleading you… please be sure about what you want to do next”.

His words are meant to be soothing, but they seem to make her even more confused. For a moment she wants to deny every feeling he is clearly seeing on her face, but she realizes that there isn’t really a point of fighting them anymore.

“How can I be sure about anything, Kev?” Her voice sounds as helpless as she is feeling right now. “How can I know what the right thing is?”

“You have to get closure”, he answers softly. “Listen… you and Archie, you two always had this special bond. It’s normal that you’re struggling with letting that go, now that he is right under your nose again. But you have to find out if that relationship belongs to your future… or if that’s just a ghost from your past. You need to talk to Archie… say goodbye to him before he leaves.”

An ironic laugh comes over Betty’s lips. “I don’t even know if he wants to talk to me right now… the last time I saw him, he acted weird. He didn’t even look at me”.

“Then make him look at you”, Kevin replies. “You’re Betty Cooper… if he is talking to someone… then it will be you”.

They stare at each other for a long moment before a slight smile appears in the corner of Betty’s lips. “You know what? I’ll do that… I’ll speak to him… I need this closure you were talking about. And after that I can move on with my life”.

Kevin is about to say something but in that exact same moment Fangs walks through the front door, smiling at them while he walks towards the table. “Hey… what are you guys talking about?”

“Archie Andrews”, is Kevin’s simple reply.

“Oh, I was just talking about him too! Great news, right?”, Fangs smiles when he grabs a water bottle from the kitchen counter. “Atlanta is pretty nice. I know a few people there. I think he will like it”.

“What are you talking about?”, Kevin asks totally confused but the moment he speaks these words out loud Betty realizes what Fangs is talking about.

“He got his application letter from the Naval”. Her voice is barely a whisper and both guys turn their faces back to her.

“Yeah… I thought you already knew that”, Fangs explains a bit confused. “Apparently he got it a week ago. He already told a lot of people”.

There is a numb feeling inside Betty’s whole body when she listens to Fangs words.

_He knows where he is working during the next five years… and he already told a lot of people… except me._

The realization of that cuts deep like a knife and she grabs for her keys and stand up at the same moment. “I need to go”.

“Betty…”, Kevin says but she cuts him off on her way through the room.

“I’m gonna do what you said, Kev”, she explains with a broken but also angry voice. “I’ll go and talk to him… I’ll go and get my closure once and for all”.

She leaves the apartment before Kevin or Fangs are able to stop her and when she gets inside her car the numbness is spreading all over her body.

_He didn’t even bother to tell me..._

Fangs words are ringing inside her ears when she starts the car, not even bothering to turn on the radio or the air conditioner.

When she drives off the parking lot and gets on the street the anger in her bones takes over and she knows where she exactly where she has to drive to talk to Archie around this time of the day.

It takes her ten minutes until she reaches the Lodge Hotel and she parks her car on her usual spot, grabbing her keys and all her courage when she walks over the sidewalk. The summer sun is burning on her hair and it’s not even 6 in the evening when she reaches the Hotel gym after two minutes.

She hasn’t been here for many years but she doesn’t even care when she walks past the fancy _El Royale Lodge_ sign at the front door.

It’s warm in the building when she walks in and she immediately spots a few people who are working out in different corners of the room. There is a old man who is showing a woman how to use the treadmill but Betty can’t find Archie… until her eyes swing to the left and she sees him walking out of a side room, dressed in some black shorts and a light-grey shirt with the El Royale Lodge sign on top. It takes a moment until he sees her and the moment their eyes meet, the anger in her blood begins to boil again.

She takes a few steps through the room until she is standing in front of him, her voice tense but suppressed because of the other few people in the room. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

Somehow he seems to notice by the way she is talking that whatever she wants to say can’t be good for him, so he shakes his head. “Actually, I can’t right now. I’m working”.

“You’re not working”, she states. “You’re standing here doing absolutely nothing, so don’t tell me you don’t have a minute to talk to me”.

The distant look in his eyes she has seen before reappears and he walks past her when he answers. “I’m here to support the guests of the hotel when they have questions about the training program or the exercise equipment… I have to stay available Betty, so no, I don’t have time for you right now”.

There is something so rejecting in the way he is saying these things to her that she turns around to glare at him with fury in her eyes, watching how he grabs a towel from one of the benches around them. He jumps up to the boxing ring, obviously trying to escape from this tense conversation but she climbs up right after him, stepping into a boxing ring for the first time in her life.

“I’m a hotel guest”, she suddenly says and she can see how he stares at her in disbelieve when he turns around, like he can’t believe what card she is about to play out. “I’m here to work out… teach me”.

“Betty…”.

“Teach me”. This time his mouth falls shut and they stare at each other for a long time, facing each other in a position they have never been in before.

It takes a whole minute until Archie throws his towel to the side and he answers something to her request. “Okay… what do you want to know?”

She takes a step further into the ring, her eyes fixed on his the entire time. “I want to know some basic rules about kickboxing”.

He seems to be totally perplexed by her words but when she takes another step in his direction he finally starts to move again. “Okay… I’ll show you the basics”.

There is a moment where he looks at her like he is expecting that she will change her mind but when she simply glares back up to him he takes a deep breath and starts to hold his arms in the air like he is about to kick her out of the ring.

“See how I’m holding my arms?”, he asks, now totally focused on the things he is saying. “Hold yours up the same way”.

She follows his request and puts her arms in the air, seemingly relaxed on the outside while her blood is boiling in the inside.

“Good… it’s actually pretty simple… every time I’m moving my fist in your direction, you’re leaning to the other side. And while you’re doing that, you’re trying to hit me unprepared”, he explains while he is obviously ignoring the anger that is written all over her face.

_He doesn’t even care… he doesn’t even bother to see me angry like this._

“Okay, I’ll show you how it usually works”, he adds while he moves his right arm in her direction, demonstrating her the basics in slow motion. “And while I’m going in for a punch, you’re…”.

That’s the moment Betty’s self-control dies.

She isn’t here for kickboxing; she isn’t here to learn something. She is here to get closure and if the only way to do that is through boxing, she is willing to do that, nevertheless.

So she takes a tiny step to the side before Archie can even react to her movements and she stretches out her right arm, hitting him at a soft spot right where his throat meets his chest and the moment he stumbles backwards in surprise she stretches out her left leg and he stumbles over her feet, falling on to his back in slow motion.

A groan leaves his mouth when he lands on the floor and she walks up to his side, starring down at him while he looks right back up to her, surprise written all over his face. “How… how did you do that?”

“You’re not the only one who learned some basic self-defense in his job”, she explains with a dry voice as she watches how he gets back up on his feet, a shocked smile on his lips.

“You can fight?” He never sounded more surprised in his whole life.

“I can do a lot of things”, she simply replies and now that he is standing in front of her again, she finally dares to begin the conversation she wanted to have in the first place. “But I’m not here to refresh my skills”.

She takes a deep breath before she finally speaks. “I’m here because I want to know why you didn’t tell me about Atlanta”.

The moment her words leave her mouth a huge amount of sadness sweeps over his face and forgotten is their little fight or the surprise about her fighting skills. He doesn’t look like he is about to answer immediately so she takes the chance to tell him the words that were lingering on her tongue the entire time she was driving here. „I mean it shouldn’t be a big deal, I know we’re not as close as we used to be… but then I find out that you kind of told the whole town about your big news, all of our friends… except me“. This truth hurts and this time Betty hopes Archie is able to see the hurt in her eyes. „I just want to know why… why didn’t you tell me? I mean… you were the one who insisted on this whole let-us-be-friends-again and I-am-always-here-for-you-Betty thing in the first place“. Her voice seems to get louder with every word and the powerful feeling of speaking her emotions out loud is running through every single vein of her body. „Joke’s on me for believing that crap. I should have known that you didn’t really care about me or our friendship anymore… I mean I already saw it the last time when we met in the Hotel lounge, you didn’t even bother to look at me for longer than ten seconds“.

The moment an ironic laugh comes over her lips the look on his face switches from sadness to disbelieve and when he finally says something he sounds like a lawyer who is fighting for himself. „This is what all of this is about? You think I don’t care about you?“

„That’s what it seems like, yes“, she replies in a heated tone.

He shakes his head like he can’t believe the whole conversation. „Oh common Betty, you should know better than that. You know I care about you. And I care about our friendship“.

„Then why are you acting this way? Why didn’t you tell me about Atlanta? Why have you been acting so absent lately?“

„Because things started to get a bit over my head“, he finally explains a bit louder than before, his hands making a gesture in the air in front of him.

„What do you mean?“ Her voice gets a bit shakier this time.

He takes a step forward so she can see the raw emotions on his face. „You’re the smartest person I know Betty, I think you already know the answer to that one“.

„I don’t, I…“.

„You do. We talked about this, remember? In my living room? When you found the pictures of us I wanted to throw away?“ His hands run through his hair and he shakes his head in disbelieve, like he can’t believe this conversation is actually happening. „We talked about the fact that there are still feelings involved in your friendship… or relationship… or whatever this thing between us even is“.

Betty tries her best to keep eye contact with him which isn’t easy with the many information she gets thrown at her face. „So what do you want to say with that? That this whole let-us-be-friends-again thing was just a lie?“

„I’m trying to say that I thought it would be a good idea“, he replies just as tense as her. „But then I saw you at Pop’s and then at Jughead’s party… and I realized that maybe being a friend to you isn’t as easy as it used to be“.

They stare at each other for a long while and now that the truth is finally out Betty feels as vulnerable as never before and judging the look on Archie’s face he feels the exact same way.

„Why are you doing this?“, she asks this time. „Acting all nice to me before… flirting with me at Pop’s…“. Her words turn a bit more risky now and he responses within a second.

„That wasn’t real flirting. That was just me realizing that I’m making a huge mistake“, he clarifies with a dry voice.

They both seem to think about the night at Pop’s for a moment but the sweetness of that moment gets wiped away with the harsh reality that is happening right now.

„I’m not trying to be mean here Betty…“, Archie explains again, his voice still tense but the look on his face a bit softer than before. „… I’m just trying to leave this town without making any mistakes.“

He takes a step forward, crossing the invisible line they drew between their feet. „This right here… This attraction we have for each other isn’t healthy“.

His eyes move to the ceiling for a moment while he seems to search for the right words to say. „We can’t keep dancing around each other like that… I have to leave in two weeks and I know I don’t want to think about you in the moment I get on this plane“.

For a short moment his eyes fall to her lips and hers do the same and Betty could burn in the anger she is feeling right now. She hates how he and this stupid reality is making her feel and she hates it even more that he seems to be right with what he is saying.

„So what? You just… stopped caring? You will leave and… that will be it?“, she asks with an emotionless voice, her eyes moving back up to his. „You say you are my friend… and then you’re not anymore. You say you’re here for me… and then you’re not. You tell me you care about me… and you’re not even telling me that you’re going to Atlanta“.

Something in his eyes changes and when he answers his voice is a lot darker than before.

„You can’t do something like this Betty… you can’t get mad about something that isn’t really your business anymore“, Archie finally states and this time his words hit her right in the heart. There is so much coldness lying in-between his words that she takes a small step backwards, the hurt written all over her face.

„Oh, I’m sorry for speaking about any of it“, she answers sarcastically. „You know what? Go and leave… go to Atlanta. Be happy there. Leave the town without making any mistakes“, she spits out with pure fury in her words and she turns around and jumps down from the ring before he can say something else. She turns around one last time to watch him standing up there, his emotions hiding beneath the mask on his face.

„I really thought our past meant more to you“. These are the last words she says to him before she turns around and leaves the room with fast steps.

_So much for closure._

She is way too mad to cry when she gets outside the building and the sun is starting to set behind the sport hall behind her when her feet start moving on her own, carrying her back to the hotel faster than she intended.

The whole conversation with Archie is stuck in her head and she doesn’t even notice when she reaches the Hotel again. She steps into the elevator like a paralyzed person and when she opens her Hotel room a minute later, she isn’t even sure if she is capable of feeling anything anymore.

_What the hell just happened?_

Betty and Archie had never had a real fight like this one and she can’t remember anything that comes close to the anger in her bones that she is feeling right now. Not even the day he left her in New York feels as traumatizing as this right here… maybe because today, she is able to understand the consequences immediately and not just after a few hours of crying.

She keeps standing in the middle of her hotel room for a whole minute, trying to wrap her head around the things she just heard while a part of her wants to yell as loud as she can.

_That’s it? That’s our big goodbye? That the last thing I will ever hear from him?_

The realization of that makes her even more mad and right when she is about to grab her phone to call someone - just anyone - to get rid of this numb feeling, someone is knocking on her door.

She is letting her phone fall on her bed out of surprise when she turns to the closed door.

Before she can say anything, she can hear _his_ voice through the heavy wood. „Betty it’s me… can you please open the door for a moment?“

The anger that was lingering in her body is rising back to the surface at the sound of Archie’s voice but she stays silent for a moment, waiting for his reaction. _He left the gym to come after me._

„Please Betty… there are a few things I want to explain to you… the things I said before… they’re not entirely true.“

She doesn’t wait to hear anything else because she is still mad at him about everything. So she takes two steps forward and opens the door with a swing, meeting him with a glare.

He looks a bit breathless but also relieved when his eyes fall down to hers.

„Why are you here?“, she shoots at him without any real emotion in her voice. „Shouldn’t you actually care to run after me like this?“

„You want to know the truth?“, he replies immediately, his voice now much stronger than in the gym before. „Fine. I’m telling you the truth“.

To her surprise there is also anger painted on his face and showing in the way his hands are leaning against the doorframe around them. „The truth is it is driving me crazy to be around you“. It’s funny how he sounds more mad than embarrassed by his own words. „I absolutely hate that somehow you managed to look even better than four four years ago. I hate that you’re still as smart as you were back then. I hate that you’re still as sweet and still as sexy as before.“ He holds in for a moment, the rage showing in the way he is taking a deep breath before he adds: „But the thing that I hate most about it is that I can’t do anything about it. Because I knew the minute I walked back into this town that I would have to leave again anyway. It wasn’t a problem at the beginning but then I met you and I kept telling myself that everything would work out between us, that we could be friends again. But then you’re always wearing these damn dresses and that perfume or you’re walking in a certain way that is just way too attractive“. The tiny smile on the corner of his lips is drowning in his madness about everything he is saying.

„So you want to know why I haven’t told you about Atlanta yet?“ His voice is still louder than usual and it seems like he is trying to fight the urge to yell everything he wants to say out loud. „I haven’t told you yet because I couldn’t find the right way to do it“. His hands fall down from the doorframe and he just stares at her in a defeated way. „Betty, I’m just trying to do the right thing here… I’m trying everything to keep some distance between us because I just know this attraction between us won’t last longer than the remaining time I have left in Riverdale.“

The anger in Betty’s body seems to fade a bit while she is listening to Archie’s voice but as soon as she is thinking clear again, she realizes that the tension in her chest isn’t gone at all. The electricity between them is building up again and judging the way Archie is looking down at her he can feel it as well.

„Why didn’t you tell me this before?“, she finally brings over her lips, her voice now much softer than before.

„Because I knew this would only tear open old wounds… and I wanted to give us a good ending this time. I wanted to give us closure“. His explanation sounds heavy and deep and there is a warm feeling radiating from his body in front of her.

 _There it is again… closure._

Betty’s eyes move back up to Archie’s, a light green meeting a warm brown while a lot of different voices echo through her mind at once.

There is Evan who is telling her to clear her thoughts.

There is Jane who is telling her to find out what she really wants.

There is Kevin who is telling her to get some closure of her relationship with Archie.

And underneath all these voices and opinions, right there where Betty keeps all her secrets and emotions well hidden in the back of her mind… there is her own voice which seems to pull her closer to the man in front of him like she is tied to him with an invisible string.

And the moment her eyes fall to his parted lips she knows he can feel it too.

There is a familiar yet knew feeling a affection between them, a power that seems to be buried inside the both of them taking over and for a single second Archie and Betty’s eyes meet again, their spoken words fading away like the plans they tried to follow all along.

And somehow Betty stops caring about her friends, or about her future or about the fact that this might be the worst mistake she ever did in her life… but she doesn’t really care when she opens her mouth again, the words coming over her lips in a whisper. „Maybe we deserve a better goodbye than this… maybe we’ll find another way to get closure“.

Ant then, Betty Cooper finally decides to follow her instincts this one time. After weeks of longing and weeks of denying her feelings she simply isn't capable of keeping her distance any longer. The truth is, she still doesn't really know what she wants to Archie Andrews... and that feeling might be mutual. But she couldn't care less this time. Because the past is long gone but somehow still haunting her like a ghost and all she wants to do is prevent herself from making any more mistakes that will haunt her like this. 

She wants to make mistakes. She wants to think with her heart not with her head. She wants to to finally be close to Archie again, even if it's just for a little while. 

That’s the moment she moves a bit closer to Archie and he takes one last step in her direction, obviously defeated by the whole situation. They both seem to move in slow motion yet faster than ever before and the moment his hands cup her cheeks and she throws herself into his arms she knows she doesn’t even need to try to fight this any longer.

They have spoken so many words today that the most important ones seem to be told without speaking out loud at all. He seems to know what she is thinking when her lips _finally_ crash down on his again and the sensation of feeling his skin against her own is something she thought she would never feel again.

Betty doesn’t care about other people in this moment… she simply concentrates on the epic feeling of sinking into Archie’s touch, not bothering about his sweaty training clothes.

When her fingers grab into his shirt and she is pulling him into the room they break apart for a moment, both of their chests moving fast because of their heavy breathing.

„Closure?“, Archie finally breathes, an unsure but also happy smile on his lips. There is pure longing and desire in his eyes when he looks down at her and she nods to his question, leaning against his hand when he is stroking a strand of hair out of her face.

„Yes… closure“, she repeats, promising with one single word that this between them isn’t meant to open a new chapter of their lives… it’s supposed to end the story of their past for real this time. „This… doesn’t mean anything“.

Her words sound like a question while she looks up to him, watching the unfathomable look on his face when he answers. „I’ll leave for the Navy… you’ll go your own way“.

She nods again, feeling the tension between their bodies when their eyes meet again. „Exactly… closure“.

The half-smile she used to love so much appears on his face as they both finally give in to a well-hidden wish they both tried to burry for a long long time and he leans in for another kiss while he shuts the door behind them with a loud swing, pulling her up to his chest while he mumbles one last words against her parted lips. „ _Closure_ “.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... lets see how that whole "closure" thing will turn out for Betty and Archie in the end. All I can say is that the story isn't finished yet and there are about 7 more chapters to come!  
> I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I would LOVE to hear your thoughts&feelings about it!!  
> I hope you all have a lovely day! 🖤
> 
> I'll answer the reviews to the last chapter tomorrow!!! - A HUGE thank you to the people who took the time to leave a comment!


	14. Love Me Now

****

**"I don't know who's gonna kiss you when I'm gone  
So I'm gonna love you now, like it's all I have  
I know it'll kill me when it's over  
I don't wanna think about it, I want you to love me now** **."**

During the second week of August Archie Andrews is trying to process the fact that he has to move to Atlanta at the beginning of September. It turns out that the best way of doing that is to tell his friends about the exciting news.

The first person Archie meets is Reggie. The dark-haired guy visits him at the gym on Monday and they talk about the Navy for half an hour.

“Never thought I would say that”, Reggie says when he is about to leave again. “But I’ll miss you Andrews. It’s a shame that I have to find someone new to do your job here at the Hotel. It’s not easy to find some who can sing at the lounge and work at a gym”.

The smile on Archie’s face fades a little when he watches his old friend leave through the front door while he realizes that he will miss this place much more than he thought he would.

The next person Archie sees is Toni. They run into each other at Pop’s on Tuesday and while he finds out that her due date is next week she finds out that he is leaving the town in two and a half weeks. “At least you’ll get to see my baby before you leave”, Toni smiles and Archie enjoys the positive energy this woman radiates.

“I wouldn’t miss that”, he answers with a promising smile when he watches her leave through the Pop’s front door.

When Vortex performs in the Hotel lounge the same night, Archie spots Betty walking into the room the second she appears at the door… and his heart sinks right to his feet. She has that friendly look on her face, an expression that tells him that she is hear to act like everything is fine between them… but the problem is since that one night in Pop’s Archie knows that in fact, _nothing_ is fine between them. And that’s the reason he’s acting like a total jerk when she wants to speak to him after his performance. “Don’t get me wrong Betty, I would love to talk to you, but I’m really tired and I need to bring the guitar home”.

The look in her eyes tells him that she doesn’t really understand why he is acting this way but he doesn’t have the guts to explain it to her… not yet. So he leaves her standing there when he leaves the room, his fingers clinging around the guitar in his hands, his eyes closing in pain.

On Wednesday Archie meets Jughead on his way to the Hotel and his old best-friend is the first person who hugs him when he finds out about his big news. “Atlanta, huh? Are you excited about it?”

“Absolutely”. His answer isn’t a lie, but it isn’t the truth either. “It will be… something new, I guess”.

Jughead stares at him for a little while before he says something. “Did you tell Betty yet?”

His question hits Archie a bit unprepared but judging the look on Jughead’s face, the topic of this conversation isn’t as bizarre as he used to believe. Of course Betty will always be a topic between them. That’s something that will never change.

“No… not yet”, he admits with his eyes on the ground and Jughead puts his hand on his shoulder for a short moment before he answers: “You need to tell her. I don’t know how you’re standing to each other right now… but either way, you need to tell her”.

They share a look that embodies all of Archie’s answers. _I know. But I don’t know what to say to her._

Telling people his opinion was never a problem for Archie, but now that he has to speak to Betty, he feels the urge to run away from this conversation as long as possible. Maybe it’s their conversation at Pop’s from the week before that puts him into such a weird mood. Maybe it’s the fact that he doesn’t really know how to handle his relationship with the girl next door anymore.

Building their friendship back up might have been a great idea at the beginning of this summer… but after everything that happened over the last few months Archie feels like he isn’t able to label his relationship with Betty anymore.

_We’re not friends. We’re not lovers. We’re not even neighbors anymore._

There are many questions inside his head and asking himself what exactly Betty means to him is just another nail in the coffin of his last few days in this town.

When Archie leaves his house to eat something at Pop’s right before his shift at the gym he runs into Fangs on the parking lot and finds out that his news about the Atlanta have already made the rounds in his different friend groups.

“Atlanta is nice, man”, Fangs assures him on his way to his car. “I’m sure you’ll have a good time there”. The dark-haired guy leaves with a smile on his lips and Archie makes his way to the gym with a weird feeling inside his chest.

_Now that the whole town seems to know about Atlanta… maybe I should speak to Betty about it._

But he pushes that thought out of his head when he finally reaches his work place and decides to worry about that later…

_… until destiny seems to strike him like lightning._

Because in one minute he is teaching some old man how to use the spinning wheel and the next minute a furious blonde woman steps into the building.

A part of him already knows that it’s Betty by the sound of her shoes echoing through the hall but the moment he turns in her direction the icy look on her face surprises him more than he thought it would. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

Archie shakes his head out of instinct while his eyes linger on her angered face for a moment. “Actually, I can’t right now. I’m working”.

It’s a weak excuse and they both know it. “You’re not working. You’re standing here doing absolutely nothing, so don’t tell me you don’t have a minute to talk to me”.

There is a weird undertone lying beneath every word she says but he decides to hold on to his decision, suddenly a bit overwhelmed with the view of an angry-looking Betty Cooper right in front of his face. “I’m here to support the guests of the hotel when they have questions about the training program or the exercise equipment… I have to stay available Betty, so no, I don’t have time for you right now”. He jumps up in the boxing ring, not entirely sure what exactly he is doing here. All he knows is that Betty’s appearance here is pushing him towards a conversation which is long overdue and everything he tried to avoid is crushing down on him every time he is forced to look at her face. So he grabs a towel and wipes over his stressed face, hoping that Betty will turn around and leave this place.

“I’m a hotel guest. I’m here to work out… teach me”.

Her voice sounds way too close and he turns around, realizing that she followed him up into the boxing ring. “Betty…”.

“Teach me”. The persistence in her sharp voice shuts him up and they stare at each other for a long moment.

She looks way too tiny standing in this boxing ring with her angelic appearance and soft expression… only the anger in her green eyes seems to fit her environment. A part of him already knows why she is so mad… because there can only be one reason to bring such anger on her face.

He gives in before he can do even more damage. “Okay… I’ll show you the basics”.

Surprise appears in her eyes when he takes a step in her direction, holding his arms up in the air. “See how I’m holding my arms? Hold yours up the same way”.

The tension between them is driving him crazy when she follows his request and he stares at the way she is holding her arms up and how everything she does looks way more elegant than he expected. “Good… it’s actually pretty simple. Every time I’m moving my fist in your direction, you’re leaning to the other side. And while you’re doing that, you’re trying to hit me unprepared”. Focusing on the boxing part of this conversation is easier than focusing on her pretty face right in front of him.

“Okay, I’ll show you how it usually works”. He ignores the glare in her eyes when he reaches out with his right hand. “And while I’m going in for a punch, you’re…”.

That’s the moment Archie is totally lost for words. Because in one second he is telling her how to hold her hands correctly and in the next second Betty reaches out and pushes him backwards and he stumbles over something that can only be her food at this point.

A groan leaves his lungs as he falls to the floor and he stares up to her in total disbelieve. “How… how did you do that?” The fall didn’t even hurt but for a moment Archie feels kind of paralyzed by the look on Betty’s face when she walks up to him. There is something breathtaking about the way her blonde hair falls over her face when she looks down to him and even though it should make him feel weak to lay on the floor like this, he can’t help but to feel a bit proud of her.

“You’re not the only one who learned some basic self-defense in his job”, Betty explains with a dry voice as she watches how he gets back up on his feet.

“You can fight?” He never sounded more surprised in his whole life.

“I can do a lot of things… but I’m not here to refresh my skills. I’m here because I want to know why you didn’t tell me about Atlanta”. She still sounds angry and Archie slowly realizes that he can’t avoid facing her any longer. The moment the word Atlanta leaves her mouth there is anger written all over her face and he takes a deep breath while he stares to the ground for a long moment.

Before he gets the chance to say something, Betty is raising her voice. „I mean it shouldn’t be a big deal, I know we’re not as close as we used to be… but then I find out that you kind of told the whole town about your big news, all of our friends… except me. I just want to know why… why didn’t you tell me? I mean… you were the one who insisted on this whole let-us-be-friends-again and I-am-always-here-for-you-Betty thing in the first place“. Her voice seems to get louder with every word and he looks back to her in an almost emotionless way. „Joke’s on me for believing that crap. I should have known that you didn’t really care about me or our friendship anymore… I mean I already saw it the last time when we met in the Hotel lounge, you didn’t even bother to look at me for longer than ten seconds“. 

When the last few words leave her lips Archie’s mood switches a bit and anger starts to rise in his body. “This is what all of this is about? You think I don’t care about you?”

“That’s what it seems like, yes”.

He shakes his head, not believing the whole conversation. “Oh common Betty, you should know better than that. You know I care about you. And I care about our friendship”. That’s the truth but a part of him knows that he hasn’t really been acting like that the last few days.

“Then why are you acting this way? Why didn’t you tell me about Atlanta? Why have you been acting so absent lately?”

Archie is angry at himself, not at Betty… but that doesn’t stop him from answering a bit louder than before, his voice firm and tense. “Because things started to get a bit over my head”.

„What do you mean?“ Her voice gets a bit shakier this time. 

He takes a step forward so she can see the raw emotions on his face. „You’re the smartest person I know Betty, I think you already know the answer to that one“. _Like it’s not obvious._

„I don’t, I…“. 

„You do. We talked about this, remember? In my living room? When you found the pictures of us I wanted to throw away?“ His hands run through his hair and he shakes his head in disbelieve, like he can’t believe this conversation is actually happening. „We talked about the fact that there are still feelings involved in your friendship… or relationship… or whatever this thing between us even is“. 

Betty sounds a bit weaker this time. „So what do you want to say with that? That this whole let-us-be-friends-again thing was just a lie?“ 

„I’m trying to say that I thought it would be a good idea“, he replies just as tense as her. „But then I saw you at Pop’s and then at Jughead’s party… and I realized that maybe being a friend to you isn’t as easy as it used to be“. 

They stare at each other for a long while before Betty asks: „Why are you doing this? Acting all nice to me before… flirting with me at Pop’s…“. _Oh, so she realizes that the night at Pop’s wasn’t as platonic as we pretended._

„That wasn’t real flirting. That was just me realizing that I’m making a huge mistake“, he clarifies with a dry voice. He knows damn well that his words sound like shit but Archie has been trying to find a way to speak to Betty in a normal way but now that she is standing right here in front of him he is totally overwhelmed with everything. They both seem to think about the night at Pop’s for a moment but the sweetness of that moment gets wiped away with the harsh reality that is happening right now. 

„I’m not trying to be mean here Betty…“, Archie explains again, his voice still tense but the look on his face a bit softer than before. „… I’m just trying to leave this town without making any mistakes.“ 

He takes a step forward, crossing the invisible line they drew between their feet. „This right here… This attraction we have for each other isn’t healthy“. This time he speaks directly about the things that are flying through his mind. _Screw this tiptoeing around everything._

His eyes move to the ceiling for a moment while he seems to search for the right words to say. „We can’t keep dancing around each other like that… I have to leave in two weeks and I know I don’t want to think about you in the moment I get on this plane“. 

For a short moment his eyes fall to her lips and he can feel blood boiling in his whole body while the broken look on her face meets his distant eyes.

„So what? You just… stopped caring? You will leave and… that will be it?“, she asks with an emotionless voice. „You say you are my friend… and then you’re not anymore. You say you’re here for me… and then you’re not. You tell me you care about me… and you’re not even telling me that you’re going to Atlanta“. 

Archie knows that this conversation will go on for hours if he doesn’t draw a final line right here. So when he answers his voice is a lot darker than before. „You can’t do something like this Betty… you can’t get mad about something that isn’t really your business anymore”.

His words seem to hit her hard and she takes a small step backwards, the hurt written all over her face.

„Oh, I’m sorry for speaking about any of it“, she answers, the sarcasm louder than her actual words. „You know what? Go and leave… go to Atlanta. Be happy there. Leave the town without making any mistakes“, she spits out with pure fury in her words and he watches how she turns around and jumps down from the ring before he can say something else. Betty turns around one last time right before she leaves the room, the anger and hurt painted on her beautiful face, the pain in her voice louder than ever before.

„I really thought our past meant more to you“. These are the last words she says to him before she turns around and leaves the room with fast steps and he stands there for a long moment, starring at the opened front door.

One minute goes by while he slowly realizes what exactly just happened.

Another two minutes go by while he keeps on starring at the door like a psychopath.

Another three minutes go by while another feeling starts to spread in Archie’s chest… and the anger gets wiped away with regret.

Archie is so paralyzed that he doesn’t even notice that his co-worker is walking up to him and when Archie turns his head in his direction, the old man is softly smiling at him. “Problems with your girl?”

A quiet and ironic laugh comes over Archie’s lips and he is pretty sure the devastation he is feeling right now is also showing on his face. “She isn’t…”, he wants to say but his words fade away by the missing energy to speak a whole sentence.

“Don’t worry. I used to fight with my wife like this all the time…”, the old man replies with a warm tone. “… but you’ll talk it out sooner or later. Time will heal anything”.

 _Time_ …; Archie thinks. _Yeah great… and time is the one thing that seems to run through my fingers right now._

And the moment the old man turns around and Archie is left alone in the boxing ring all the mixed emotions inside him seem to hit a boiling point. There is anger inside him because of the way he just handled the conversation with Betty, there is sadness because he has to leave Riverdale behind, there is helplessness because there isn’t anything he can do about it, there is regret because he feels like he isn’t doing the right thing and there is confusion about his feelings regarding a pretty, blonde woman.

“You can go home if you want to Archie!”, the old man suddenly shouts at him from the other side of the gym, the soft smile still stuck on his face. “Your time is almost over”.

Archie could laugh about the choice of words that are used in this statement… but that’s before he realizes that this sentence is much more relevant than he first believed.

_My time is almost over. My time in Riverdale. My time with Betty._

And that’s the moment it hits him.

His feet start moving before he even knows what he is doing and three seconds later he is already at the front door, thanking the old man while he leaves the building with quick steps.

The sun is burning on his head as he is running down the two streets to the Lodge-Hotel, the afternoon air filling his lungs as many different words fly through his mind. He doesn’t really have a plan what exactly he wants to say to Betty… all he knows is that he needs to talk to her right now, before the gap between them can get any bigger than it already is.

_Screw politeness. Screw fear. Screw regret._

The only thing that matters right now is that he is telling Betty the truth about everything that has been going through his mind lately.

When he finally reaches the Hotel he is more than glad that he brought Betty home after the night at Pop’s and he is still able to remember the number of her room on the third floor. He pushes the buttons on the elevators but after five seconds of waiting his patience is gone and he runs to the stairs to his left, making his way up to the third floor.

His breath is getting stuck in his lungs when he finally reaches Betty’s room and he closes his eyes for a moment before he knocks against the door, his words almost dying on his tongue when he calls her name. “Betty it’s me… can you please open the door for a moment?”

It feels like his heart is jumping right out of his chest when he is waiting for an answer. “Please Betty… there are a few things I want to explain to you… the things I said before… they’re not entirely true”.

A part of him is scared that she might not be here or that she won’t open the door at all… but the moment the door in front of him gets ripped open and he is looking at an angry but also surprised expression on Betty’s face two feet away from him, he knows that running after her was the right decision.

“Why are you here?”, she shoots at him before he can even say anything. “Shouldn’t you actually care to run after me like this?” There is a heat in her voice that suits the anger on her face… but somehow all Archie can think of is how beautiful she looks when she is passionate like this.

“You want to know the truth?”, he asks, now with a stronger voice than in the gym before. “Fine. I’m telling you the truth”.

He takes a deep breath, leans forward with his arms resting against the doorframe on his left and on his right, his eyes lingering on Betty’s face when he finally speaks the words that have been lingering in the back of his mind for weeks now. “The truth is it is driving me crazy to be around you. I absolutely hate that somehow you managed to look even better than four years ago. I hate that you’re still as smart as you were back then. I hate that you’re still as sweet and still as sexy as before.“ He holds in for a moment, the rage showing in the way he is taking a deep breath before he adds: „But the thing that I hate most about it is that I can’t do anything about it. Because I knew the minute I walked back into this town that I would have to leave again anyway. It wasn’t a problem at the beginning but then I met you and I kept telling myself that everything would work out between us, that we could be friends again. But then you’re always wearing these damn dresses and that perfume or you’re walking in a certain way that is just way too attractive“. The memories of all the times he saw Betty during the last two months are crossing his mind and he remembers _everything_.

He remembers how it felt when he saw her at Pop’s after four years of separation; he remembers how it felt sitting beside her that night. He remembers how it felt seeing her with Evan the first time, he remembers the moment in his living room when they both made it clear that the past might not only be the past anymore. He remembers her eyes on him at the wedding, he remembers how it felt holding her during their dance. And all above he remembers how electrifying it felt sitting across from her at Pop’s in the middle of the night, whipping some milk cream from her parted lips.

That overwhelming memory of the tension between them is driving him crazy and he keeps on talking, silently hoping that the more words he says the better he will feel in the end. „So you want to know why I haven’t told you about Atlanta yet? I haven’t told you yet because I couldn’t find the right way to do it“. His hands fall down from the doorframe and he just stares at her in a defeated way. „Betty, I’m just trying to do the right thing here… I’m trying everything to keep some distance between us because I just know this attraction between us won’t last longer than the remaining time I have left in Riverdale.“ 

Maybe speaking directly about that tension between them will finally open her eyes to the problems that are still tearing them apart.

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?”, she finally replies but this time her voice is much softer than before.

His explanation sounds heavy and deep. „Because I knew this would only tear open old wounds… and I wanted to give us a good ending this time. I wanted to give us closure“.

Archie’s words might be true but the longer he keeps looking at the girl in front of him, the more his own words seem to fade away.

Yes, he wants closure. But there are other things he wants more.

Because right now he might be feeling a lot of different emotions at once, but the feeling of running out of time seems to overshadow everything else. It’s not even entirely related to Betty this time, Archie knows that the thoughts about Atlanta are driving him crazy as well.

But in this very moment everything seems to come together. The fear of moving away again. The pain of letting go of Betty. The worry about doing the wrong thing again.

Archie made a lot of mistakes in his life… and if he learned something from them, it would have to be one very important lesson: Life is too short to think about consequences.

Sometimes you have to live in the present, not in the past and not in the future. You have to enjoy whatever it is that brings you happiness… even though you might lose it soon.

And as Archie is standing there, his breath coming out of his lungs in an unsteady rhythm, his whole body frozen as he is looking at the girl next door… he can see the same emotions in the green eyes in front of him.

When Betty finally answers something to his words, her voice is only a whisper. „Maybe we deserve a better goodbye than this… maybe we’ll find another way to get closure“. 

For a moment Archie believes he might misinterpret the look in her wide-opened eyes. But the second her gaze falls to his lips he knows she is thinking the exact same thing as him.

Because Archie Andrews knows Betty Cooper better than anyone.

So he decides that sometimes moving forwards could mean to take a step back and look at the things in your life that are important to you and that’s the only thing on his mind when he makes a decision that was long overdue.

It feels scary but electrifying at once when he takes a step forward and walks into the room and Betty is suddenly right there in front of him, reaching for him in the exact same moment he leans down to finally give in to his desires.

And just like that, the world seems to spin around again and every single voice inside his head turns silent as he can finally feel Betty’s lips crash against his and it takes him several seconds before he realizes that this is actually happening.

When she pulls him further into the room they lose contact for a moment and he opens his eyes in hesitation, a playful smile on his lips when he stares down into her shiny eyes. “Closure?” It’s a simply question and her answer is short and fast. “Yes, closure… this doesn’t mean anything”.

Somehow her words sound like a question and she looks up to him, obviously waiting for him to prove that she is speaking the truth.

“I’ll leave for the Navy… you’ll go your own way”, he agrees a bit breathless because hell – this is all he ever wanted. He doesn’t want to ruin Betty’s life all over again… but he isn’t strong enough to fight his emotions any longer.

 _This won’t change anything;_ he tells himself. _This is our goodbye._

He decides to ignore the feeling that this doesn’t feel like a goodbye at all as Betty speaks again. “Yes… closure”.

There is a light smile appearing on his lips as he pulls her closer to his body, shutting out every doubt as he leans in for another kiss, mumbling the words “closure” against her lips one last time.

Maybe it should scare him to be this close to her after all that time that passed by since they last touched each other like this. But weirdly, it doesn’t.

It feels overwhelming to feel her against his body, it feels electrifying to taste her tongue against his own and his self-control fades away the exact second her hands start to pull on his shirt in an eagerly way. And when she pressed her body even closer to his chest he hums against her lips, his brows a bit furrowed even though he isn’t completely sure what exactly is holding him back. “Betty…”, he mumbles against her mouth as she gets up on her tiptoes. _“… I’m… sweaty… don’t_ …”. There are only a few single words leaving his lips during their kiss while a part of him tries to remind her of the fact that he just finished a shift at a gym and is covered in sweat everywhere.

But the blonde woman in front of him doesn’t seem to listen to him at all.

“… don’t care…”, is all she whispers against his lips and that’s the moment he finally gives in to the almost painful longing inside his body.

_Screw the future… screw the consequences._

And with that he switches his head off and starts to concentrate on the things his body wants, and he reaches down and grabs Betty’s legs like it’s the easiest thing in the world. She yelps surprised as he pulls her up to him with his hands wrapping around her tights and she closes her legs around his back, leaving no air between them as he carries her through the small room.

His pure instincts take over as he finally finds the bed at the end of the room and he leans forward, letting her fall to the mattress with a soft laugh coming over her lips.

Archie never realized how much he missed moments like this until he is getting rid of his shirt and his shoes in front of the bed and he recognizes the dark look in Betty’s eyes when she watches him climb onto the bed after her. They both seem to share this desire they have for each other and Archie realizes the moment he leans down to kiss her again that the last four years have been building up to this day.

This right here doesn’t feel like sleeping with strangers after a long night at a bar, it doesn’t feel like sleeping with Laurie whenever one of them got too lonely during the last few years.

This right here… this feels like finally getting to taste a drop of water after wandering through a dessert for a long, long time and Archie is determined to end this endless drought he endured for years. 

Betty pulls him closer the moment his lips land on hers and there is something so impatient and eagerly mirroring in both of their movements that it feels like they were walking in the dark for far too long and now they are clinging onto the first spark of light that appears in front of them, desperately hoping this new found spark will lead them out of this dark misery.

They don’t talk in the next few minutes, but there isn’t the need for that anyway. Archie knows that she is enjoying this closeness just as much as he does, and they stay like this for a while, exchanging harmless kisses while they both try to touch each other’s exposed skin like they have never touched each other before.

But the moment Betty wraps her legs around his back once again and he can hear a soft moan coming over her lips, something changes. He tears himself away from her, dark eyes starring at dark eyes and when she tightens her legs a bit more the last barrier between them seems to shatter completely.

Archie pulls away a tiny bit to get enough space, only to focus on the clothes Betty is still wearing. His hands move down her shoulders, right to the middle of her body where her violet blouse is parting a little and Archie doesn’t think twice about it before he grabs the fabric and tears her shirt open at the fine line of buttons right in the middle. Judging the surprised sound on Betty’s tongue she doesn’t even seem to care that one of her tops just got ripped into pieces and Archie leans down, his mouth landing on the soft spot of her skin right where her neck meets her collarbone.

When his tongue touches her skin and he paints a line down her chest, his lips moving along the edge of her black bra he can feel her whole body shiver beneath him and he smiles against her chest, proud about the fact that he still knows exactly where and how to touch her to make her react this way.

And suddenly her hands are in his hair, her fingers tearing on some short strands at the back of his head and when she whispers something in his ear, his whole body seems to catch fire. “Stop teasing me”.

Betty has always been the impatient one in their relationship, that’s something that he never really forgot about the time they spend together during their teenage years. And now she is 24 and still as impatient as she used to be and Archie can’t help but to smile about that.

“But it’s fun”, is his breathless reply as he lifts his head just enough so he can look at her face when he places a kiss right underneath the wire of her bra.

She closes her eyes for a moment, obviously distracted by his touch but when she looks at him again there is pure longing written in her eyes. “I know something even better”.

And then her legs around his back are gone and he has to move a bit to watch her sitting up in the bed. It looks incredible sexy how she is getting rid of her clothes in a smooth but fast way and he takes over once she is only sitting there in her underwear. Everything feels just as simple as is has been four years ago but somehow everything feels new as well. Betty’s body hasn’t changed much but the way she is moving around him is different than it used to be, it’s more poised than before, her movements matching the self-confident look in her dark eyes.

Five minutes ago, Betty was the one without any patience, now Archie’s want takes over to a level he can’t even think straight anymore. Suddenly everything gets a bit blurry and he drowns in a mixture of feeling Betty’s hands around his body and he can feel the tension boiling in his veins when his boxershorts and Betty’s underwear land on the floor beside the bed and there is nothing more between them than their complicated past and the wish to undo their mistakes.

Originally his plan was to drag this moment out as long as possible, so he can take his time to focus in everything a little bit more before they move things further. But the moment he is starring at Betty’s naked body right in front of him and the way she is looking at him he decides to throw his plans overboard. He waited too long for this.

Betty seems to share his opinion, judging the way she is throwing herself into his arms and for a moment he is about to pass out by the feeling of her warm skin against his bare chest when she sits down on his lap, wrapping her legs around him once more time and he breathes against her neck, closing his eyes at the sensation of feeling her this close.

“ _God, Betty_ ”. He isn’t even sure if she can hear him because his voice gets quieter against her neck but he can clearly feel goosebumps on her skin right where their bodies meet.

Betty is sweet, Betty is kind, Betty is loving. But Betty is also a woman who is undeniably attractive and a part of him can’t believe he is lucky enough to get to feel her this close again before he leaves this town for good.

 _If the Navy won’t be the death of me… she will_. He is sure of that.

And now, after years of denying what he really wants, Archie decides that it’s time to live life to its fullest. No more waiting, no more excuses. No more tiptoeing around anything. Not after everything they have been through.

So he leans forward, pushes her body back to the bed, showing her silently that this is the way he wants it to be for now and she agrees without saying a single word, only pulling him closer once her back meets the mattress. He could spend hours with tasting her skin or every part of her body that used to be a secret for so long, but Archie is tired of wasting time. And so he closes the distance between them without another word, crushing his lips down on hers in the exact same moment he pushes her legs apart and when he finally pushes into her he isn’t the only one groaning in sensation. The blonde girl in his arms is moaning against his lips and she bites on his lower lip when he starts to move again, slowly finding back into a rhythm they both once used to master very well.

Sleeping with Betty Cooper used to be one of the best things he ever did in this life but not only because of the touch of her hands are the feeling of her warm skin right against his own. It’s more the way she is holding on to him like he is the only thing she can reach in this world and he is drowning in the feeling of her tongue against his lips or the scent of her vanilla shampoo that is stuck in her long hair.

_Everything about Betty feels familiar and familiar feels like home._

Betty isn’t the only one who changed over the years, Archie is older now as well. But when Betty’s hands move over his back and he can feel her fingernails clawing to his skin, he tears his lips away from her mouth, groaning against the curve of her neck with his eyes closed. He isn’t used to this electrifying sensation anymore, maybe because no otter woman on this earth made him feel this good but also this weak at the same time. He always knew that Betty is his dynamite in one way or another but feeling her longing for his touch like in this moment is showing him their fragile yet strong relationship clearer than ever before.

The thing is, Betty knows Archie. And Archie knows Betty. And somehow they are fast at learning what the other person wants and that paired with the fact that Archie waited way too long for this, is pushing him to the edge sooner than usual. Everything feels way too much. It’s Betty’s lips against his neck, it’s her hands on his back, it’s her scent in his nose, it’s her taste on his tongue and it’s her body which she keeps on pushing up against his own in the most teasing way.

It’s no surprise when he finally gives in and is letting the tension finally escape his body and groans against her skin when he falls down on top of her, not caring about their sweaty and warm bodies.

It takes him minutes until he is able to control his heavy breathing again and the only thing he can hear is his own blood rushing through his body and the steady heartbeat of the girl underneath him.

“Damn… I’m sorry”, he breathes the moment his senses seem to return to him and he realizes that he is lying on top of her petite body with all his body weight. “I wasn’t thinking clear”.

He wants to get up but her hands are still on his back and she holds him close, preventing him from letting go of her body.

“Stay like this”, she whispers, and he raises his head to look at her face, meeting her dizzy eyes and the small smile on her lips. “Just for a while”.

Now that Archie feels like he is finally able to think straight again he takes a proper look at the girl in front of him and he takes a long moment to look down at her face. Her eyes are half closed, her lips slightly parted. There is a thin layer of sweat lingering all over her body and some loose strands of hair sticking to her forehead.

 _You look beautiful;_ he would love to say. But saying something like that out loud would only push them even deeper into this disaster and would only cause more problems than they already have.

Archie doesn’t notice that he keeps looking at her until Betty smiles a bit wider after a while, her voice sounding a bit hoarse when she asks. “Why are you looking at me like this?”

A guilty laughter comes over his lips and he keeps thinking about a good answer for a long while. “I’m just… thinking about… all of this”, he confesses.

“This?”, she replies with slightly raised eyebrows, pointing at their intertwined, sweaty bodies.

“Yeah… I’m trying to remember if we were always this good at sex”.

The funny tone in his voice is making her laugh and he smiles at the sight of her happiness.

“I think we got better over the last few years”, she admits honestly, the smirk still lingering on her lips. “But we had some good times back then too”. It’s clear that she is joking about the whole conversation, but somehow they are also speaking the truth.

“Do you remember the time you visited me at the Academy?”, Archie asks while he gets a bit lost in his mind. “I think that night stood out for me”.

“Oh yes.” Betty admits a bit quieter than him and after a while she adds: “Do you remember that week we spent at the beach house? That was one of my favorites as well”.

Her voice takes him back to a week full of salty water, sandy clothes and the warm sun on his skin and he looks back down to Betty when he answers. “I remember… I remember everything”.

Their eyes meet and it’s like this conversation is taking them back to a much simpler time. And suddenly he can see how a hint of distance appears in Betty’s eyes and he can feel how everything seems to get a bit too much right now. Because suddenly he can feel her naked body right underneath him and it feels like it’s getting painfully clear what they just did… and he decides that it’s time to let go again.

He wraps himself out of her arms and she is letting go of him in the exact same moment and he reaches for his shorts when he is sitting on the side of the bed. There is a calm but also weird silence spreading between them and once Archie has his boxer-shorts back on he turns around to Betty again, watching how she pulls the blanket up to her shoulders in a slow motion.

They share a long eye contact filled with unspoken questions before Archie finally speaks. “This wasn’t a mistake… right?”

His question might seem silly but he can see the same hesitation and worry in Betty’s eyes as he is feeling as well right now.

It takes her a long moment before she answers. “No. I don’t think so”.

Another long moment of silence passes by before Archie is standing up from the bed, searching for the rest of his clothes. When he puts on his shirts and his shorts, he finally finds his voice again. “So… do you think we have that now?”

He turns around to the bed, just in time to catch Betty’s confused expression as she sits up on the mattress, wrapping the dark red blanket around her body. “What do you mean?”

“Closure”. His explanation sounds casual as his eyes meet hers.

She seems a bit caught off guard and her mouth falls a tiny bit open while she searches for an answers. “Yes… yeah, I think so. Totally”.

He can’t help but to laugh quietly over her answer and she shoots his question right back to him. “And do you think we have closure now?” There is something testing in her voice but also a huge amount of insecurity.

“Yes. Absolutely”. His reply isn’t the truth. The truth is, he doesn’t know the answer.

Betty shows him a smile and it only takes a second until he can tell that it’s a faked one. “Okay… then I guess I see you around somewhere before you leave in two weeks?”

“Sure”, is all he can say to that while he is lacing up his shoes, desperately trying to ignore the tense situation around him.

_This feels so weird._

When he stands back up he looks at Betty one last time, not really knowing what to say or what to do. “Okay. I… I think I’m gonna go now”. _Ask me to stay and I’ll stay._

“Okay”. Betty doesn’t really seem like she is sad about his decision, so he stares at her one last time, watching how the faked smile on her lips fades a tiny bit when he turns to the door.

“I’ll see you around”, he simply shouts over his shoulder when he leaves the hotel room and when he steps into the hallway he stands still for a moment, starring at the floor while he is trying to clear his mind.

 _Closure_ ; he thinks, laughing ironically. _Isn’t closure supposed to feel better than this?_

Because right now Archie Andrews feels like he isn’t done with any of these overwhelming feelings towards Betty Cooper.

**•••**

When Archie gets home this evening, he meets Luke in the kitchen and it only takes ten seconds until the blonde guy notices that something is wrong. And so, Archie ends up telling him everything that happened between him and Betty earlier that day and Luke is just sitting there in silence, listening to his best friend’s words.

“Closure”, is the first thing Luke says after Archie is finished with his story, an ironic smile on his face. “Common man, you really thought sleeping with her once last time would give you _closer_?”

“I don’t know what I thought”, is Archie’s honest answer.

“Yeah, I can tell”. Luke shakes his head, the grin on his face fading a bit. “You know, when I told you to say goodbye to Betty I didn’t mean you should jump into her bed”.

“Thank you Luke, you’re really helping me with that. Do you have something else to say that might actually help me in this situation?”

The blonde guy stares at him for a moment before he answers. “I don’t know… is there anything you can do at this point? I mean you guys had goodbye sex and make-up sex at once… and you’re still leaving in two weeks. What is there left to say?”

One thing Archie loves and hates about Luke is the fact that this guy is always telling you the truth right into your face.

“You’re right…”, is all he can answer to that. “Maybe that’s the only feeling of closure I need”.

**•••**

When Archie leaves for work the next day, he hasn’t really been sleeping much in the night before. The situation with Betty has been spooking around in his mind for hours and now that he is driving to the gym not even the sunny weather seems to brighten up his day.

It doesn’t help that his co-worker asks him about the pretty-blonde-girl again and all Archie can really answer to that is a short “I can’t say much to that”.

**•••**

One day later Archie is performing in the Hotel Lounge with Vortex and while he is starring at the few people in the audience he remember the time he sang some covers at Veronica and Reggie’s wedding… which leads him back to thinking about Betty.

He closes his eyes, his fingers wrapping around the guitar in anger and he takes a few deep breathes while he concentrates on Sarah’s voice over the microphone.

When he opens his eyes again, his heart almost stops.

_Betty._

He can see how she is walking into the room and starring up to the stage, their eyes meeting immediately and for a moment he believes she is actually smiling up to him. The song changes and Sarah starts another cover and Archie watches how Betty sits down at the bar at the other side of the room, her eyes still lingering on the stage most of the time.

Archie is spending the next twenty minutes wondering why Betty is showing up here out of the blue. She hasn’t been here very often… and the last time she showed up, he acted cruel and cold towards her, which wasn’t really one of his finest moments.

Concentration on his guitar is his priority right now but Archie can’t help himself to take a look at the bar from time to time, his eyes always meeting Betty’s every time he turns his face in her direction.

It stays like this for four to five songs… and then Archie’s heart nearly jumps out of his chest when he has to witness how Betty is standing up again.

Archie watches how Betty makes her way through the room to the entrance in slow steps, the simple, green dress she is wearing flying through the air while she is walking, and then, right before she leaves through the door, she turns around again, looking at him in an obvious way. Brown eyes meeting green eyes for what feels like a short eternity.

And then she is gone and Archie can do nothing more than to stand there and watch her go.

This time none of his friends seem to have noticed Betty’s appearance like the last time she showed up at their show and Archie is glad that he gets the chance to think about the blonde girl without the questioning looks from the people around him.

Vortex plays three more songs before the show is finished and Archie is just as surprised and confused about Betty’s visit at the end of the show as he was at the beginning. He doesn’t have an answer for all the questions inside his head but he is sure about one thing: He doesn’t want to spent the rest of the night here to drink with his friends. He only wants to go home to forget about the confusion inside him for a while.

„Archie? You’re not staying with us tonight?“, Sarah asks him when he puts his guitar into his guitar bag, right before he swings the whole thing over his shoulder.

„Not tonight, Sarah. I’ll bring my guitar home and work a little in the house… I still need to clean the basement“. His explanation sounds simple and the brunette girl seems to understand by the tiredness on his face that she won’t change his mind about his plan.

„Alright, go and clean your basement… you weirdo“, the short girl laughs and he ruffles through her hair with a grin before he leaves. „Have fun guys. I’ll see you later“.

He leaves the stage with his guitar on his back and walks out of the room while the rest of the people make their way over to the bar.

It’s silent when Archie enters the hallway and the foyer and the old lady at the reception is smiling at him when he leaves the Hotel through the huge front door. It’s almost pitch black outside when he makes his way to the parking lot to his left and after one minute, he finally finds his car in the shadows of the night.

And that’s the moment he also spots Betty Cooper right in front of it.

She is leaning against the side of his car and turns her face in his direction when he stops a few feet away from her, the street light reflecting on her golden hair, her summer dress matching the darkness around her.

That’s the first time in that night that Archie starts to wonder if she is thinking about him just as much as he is thinking about her.

_Maybe I’m not the only one feeling like whatever happened two days ago wasn’t really closure for us._

It’s silent for a painfully long moment until Archie dares to say something. „What are you doing here?“

He takes two steps in her direction while he waits for her answer and she moves away from the car when he wants to open the backseat door.

The silence continues when he puts his guitar in the backseat and when he turns around to look at her through the darkness, he can see hesitation written all over her shadowed face. „Betty…?“

Something changes in her expression and when she takes a tiny step closer he can take a proper look at her dark eyes.

„I’ll need more“, is all she finally brings over her lips and he closes the car door behind him, furrowing his brows in confusion. „More of what?“

„Closure“.

Once her answer is out the realization hits him like a meteor and he stares at her through the darkness like a deer starring at some car lights.

„I know this sounds crazy“, Betty adds, her voice a bit trembling while she speaks and her hands are moving around in the air like she is trying to make a point. „And god… I really don’t want to sound as insane as I’m feeling right now…“. A quiet and almost hysteric laugh comes over her lips. „But what happened between us two days ago was… I don’t know what it was. Well I thought it was closure, but I kept thinking about that and I’m not really sure if this really worked… and now I’m here and…“.

Her words fade away when their eyes meet again and he realizes what exactly she wants to say to him. „Are you trying to say that you want more… _closure_?“

„Yes“, is her honest answer, but she sounds a bit insecure while she speaks. „I figured out that we’ll need more of it when it’s supposed to work and I know that you’re leaving in two weeks and I don’t want to sound crazy, so please tell me to stop when you don’t understand what I’m talking about because I feel like I’m kind of insane and…“.

Archie is letting her speak for a while, listening to her confusing words until he simply can’t take it anymore.

She is here, she is right in front of him.

And obviously, she is thinking the exact same thing as he is.

So he decides to shut her up before she can continue her little monologue even further and he takes two steps in her direction, wrapping his hands around her cheeks right before his lips crash down on hers.

She seems more than surprised about his reaction before she hums against his mouth, leaning against his touch before she starts to move closer to him.

And just like that, their relationship turns into something much more intimate than just friends.

Because friends don’t kiss each other in a dark parking lot.

Friends don’t tear on each other’s clothes like that.

And friends don’t open a car just to make out on the driver’s seat.

But that’s exactly what Archie and Betty are doing five minutes after Betty’s pretty speech.

He’s searching for his keys in an almost desperate way before he gets on the driver’s seat, Betty sitting down on his lap in a natural way, like it’s the most easiest thing on this earth. There is her hot breath against his lips when her fingers are pulling his belt open and he can feel the goosebumps on her skin when his hands move up her bare legs, caressing the soft skin of her tights. It drives him crazy when he realizes that she isn’t even wearing underwear tonight and for a moment all of his morals get destroyed because how in hell is it possible that the sweet girl next door left the house without wearing anything under her dress?! It’s clear that Betty turned into a woman he doesn’t really know anymore and he is trying to wrap his head around all of these new impressions.

„Is this enough closure?“, he groans against Betty’s mouth and he can feel her smirk against his opened lips when she finally manages to push his jeans down enough for her to sink down on him, her head falling back in pleasure while her hands cling to his hair like they used to before.

„I think we’ll need more of this to get enough“, she finally manages to answer and the moment her dark eyes meet his own, Archie knows that she could ask for anything on this world and he would try to give it to her.

„I’ll see what I can do“.

Archie stops asking questions that night. He simply enjoys the feeling of Betty Cooper and her body moving on top of his own and just like that the haunting memories of their night from two days ago disappear out of his head completely. 

Right now, it finally feels like him and Betty are reconnecting on more than one level. They are finally honest to each other, even though Archie isn’t really sure if she is actually believing all of this closure stuff.

He just knows that he isn’t able to stay away from her as long as she wants him too and even though his remaining time in Riverdale is running through his fingers right now, he will make the best out of every single second he has left with Betty.

Archie knows that this will kill him once it’s over. But right now he doesn’t care. He only cares about the beautiful girl sitting on his lap in this old car and that for some strange reason this is the very first time in five years, Riverdale starts to feel like home again.

**•••**

During the next few days, Archie and Betty’s relationship turns into something very similar to the friends-with-benefits thing they have been talking about in that one night at Pop’s.

Getting _closure_ seems to be their new hobby and even thought they focus on the physical part of their friendship, it’s clear to say that they are having a good time with our without sex playing a part at their daily meetings.

After the night at the parking lot, Betty and Archie’s friendship changes into something they never really experienced with each other before in their lives.

„Is it weird that we’re doing this?“, Betty asks him two days after the parking lot moment when they sit in a booth at Pop’s together and Archie can not only feel her eyes on his face when he is eating his fries, he can also feel her leg bouncing against his own under the table from time to time.

„What?“, he asks a bit amused and she grins at him when she takes a sip from her vanilla milkshake.

„This friends-with-benefits thing“, she explains. „I mean… shouldn’t that be weird for us?“

He thinks about that questions for a moment. „Well… I can think about one hundred reasons why this is a bad idea… best friends since childhood… ex lovers… about to be parted again by the almighty force of destiny… it’s save to say that there are a million reasons why this is a bad idea“.

The look in her eyes is intense when she stares at him after his answer. „And yet… we’re doing it“.

He can’t help but to laugh. „Exactly“.

They end up doing it on the backseat of his car again in the same night, both of them mumbling something about closure from time to time.

**•••**

Five days after the night in the parking lot, Archie takes Betty to the little lake outside of the town. It’s a hot day in august when they jump into the little watering place they used to go to when they were younger and for the first time in what feels like forever, Archie is able to hear the same laugh coming over Betty Cooper’s lips she used to have when she was younger and more carefree. He stares at her for a moment, watches how the sun reflects on the water drops that are stuck in her lashes and a part of him keeps wondering if he will ever find another woman as beautiful as her.

That’s the very first time they have sex in the water and they stay there until the sun disappears behind the tall trees around them, throwing dark shadows over the whole place.

„We should go“, Archie says when they are sitting on a rock right beside the little lake, both of them starring on the water in front of them.

Betty only nods and when they get up Archie reaches her his hand and they stay like this all the way back to Riverdale.

They never talk about the hand-holding again after that but Archie knows that the feeling of her tiny hand in his own will be stuck in his mind forever.

**•••**

Seven days after the parking lot, Archie sleeps in Betty’s hotel bed the whole night. It’s the first time Archie accidentally stays the whole night because both of them seem to pass out after hour long conversations in the middle of the night. And when the sun rises again, Archie wakes up with his arms wrapped around the blonde girl beside him and he takes a few minutes before he gets out of the bed. Betty has always been an angel for Archie, but watching her sleep with her eyes peacefully closed, her lips slightly parted and some loose hair strands falling all over her face, he realizes that it was the right decision to start this extraordinary friendship with Betty. Because it doesn’t matter what price he has to pay for this in the end… it was worth it, just to be able to look at her in such rare moments like this.

**•••**

Eighth days after the parking lot, Archie is performing with Vortex in stage again – and this time Betty is sitting in the audience the entire time, softly smiling up to him every time he dares to look in her direction.

Whatever they have, or whatever they exactly are to each other, never really gets brought up between them. They label it as something simple, something that isn’t complicated.

 _We’re friends that are saying goodbye to each other in a long and painful way_ ; Archie realizes.

Betty asks him to stay with her in her room that night and he agrees because hell – how couldn’t he? 

He seems to search for her like for a candle in the dark and sometimes it gets clear that these feelings might be mutual.

They never speak about the future, which seems to be an unspoken pact between them.

They never speak about their special friendship too.

Archie stopped asking questions the moment he realized that he missed Betty Cooper’s smile more than anything else on this world, but he keeps his thoughts hidden inside his head, not risking to share them with anyone else. He isn’t even completely sure what exactly it is, he wants to hide from everyone around him.

But there is one thing that Archie is absolutely sure of. He would give anything he has to stop the time running through his hands like fine sand.

**•••**

Nine days after the parking lot, Betty calls Archie to her office at the FBI station. She sends him a short text message, asking him to eat lunch with her, but he knows that the little kissing-emoji she uses from time to time is representing her original plans for this lunch break.

And when he shows up in her office, his basic sport outfit meeting her chic business dress, the first thing she does is lock the door behind him and before he knows it, he is already leaning over her body on her small desk, his teeth sinking into her lower lip and her legs wrapping around his back, pushing him further into her body.

Archie spend years fantasizing about Betty. But this right here is better than any imagination.

**•••**

Ten days after the parking lot evening, Archie’s last week in Riverdale begins. And just like the warm weather, the month August seems to fade away as well, in a slowly, nearly unnoticeable way.

Jerry, Sarah and Luke are helping Archie cleaning the house all day and it’s no secret that the three of them feel a bit nostalgic when they are carrying the old furniture out of the house.

“I’ll miss this place”, Sarah confesses during their last Monday afternoon dinner in the kitchen. “Six more days until we’re all in Atlanta. Two more shows at the Hotel. And that will be it”.

Archie watches how Luke who is sitting beside Sarah is pulling her into a hug, his lips against her hair when he adds: “I know what you mean… never thought I would like this town. And now I’m scared to leave on Sunday”.

“But let’s not forget the positive things”, Sarah replies with a small smile on her lips. “We’ll be together in Atlanta. This will be amazing”.

Archie’s eyes turn back to his almost empty plate on the table in front of him the moment his two best friends share a kiss, and a numb feeling is spreading in his chest. He doesn’t even need to analyze why exactly he is feeling this way right now. Because witnessing the happiness of Luke and Sarah in front of him, makes him realize that this is one of the few things that he won’t feel when he will leave this town at the end of the week.

He won’t be following the girl of his dreams to a city far, far away.

He will have to let her go once again. And even though he is trying his best to get the closure he needs… he isn’t really sure if he even wants that anymore.

**•••**

Betty visits him the next day.

She comes over right after work when the sun is already setting behind the houses of the neighborhood, dressed in her usual office clothes, her hair pulled up into a ponytail like she used to wear during High School. There is a smile on her face when he leads her up to his old room and he watches her reaction carefully when she sees the empty room in front of her. There isn’t much left in the first floor in general, Archie already dismantled all the furniture from his mother’s old bedroom and most of the stuff in his old room. The only thing left is his small bed and a lamp standing on the wooden floor and Betty turns around to him with wide eyes, a surprised smile on her lips. “Wow… things are starting to get real now”.

He knows exactly what she means. “Yeah. It’s crazy… in five days, I’ll never walk through this house again”.

Betty turns back around while he speaks and he watches how she walks through the room in slow steps until she stops right in front of the window beside his bed, her eyes fixed in the house next door. It’s a beautiful sight to see her standing in the place he used to be for all those years, her silhouette framed with the streetlights outside.

“We’re never gonna be neighbors again”, Betty says after a moment of silence as Archie follows her through the room and he walks up right beside her, both of them starring out of the window side by side.

“I’ll miss seeing you over there”, he mumbles a bit amused.

There is a quiet laugh in her voice when she replies. “I prefer this side of the window”.

The tease in her words is unmistakable and when he turns his face in her direction, she is already looking up to him, many different emotions flickering in her eyes.

“I’m leaving in five days”, he states with a now deeper voice than before, not really sure what he is trying to say with that.

“I know”. Her answer is as simple as his statement and for a single second Archie is able to see a hint of pain on her pretty face, right before she leans forward, pushing herself up on her tiptoes before she lays her lips down on his.

This seems to be their only way of communication these days and even though there isn’t anything on this planet that Archie loves more than to feel Betty’s lips on his skin, he isn’t ready to burry another important conversation underneath a beautiful but vanishing night.

He gives in when Betty pushes him down on his bed in a soft movement and he watches how she climbs over his legs to sit down on his lap but the moment she wants to kiss him again, he reaches his hands out, putting his fingers on her cheeks so she can look him in the eyes.

“Betty… what is this between us?” His question is quiet and low and her hands slide down from his shoulders, holding on to him by steadying herself with taking a grip on his arms.

It takes a moment before she answers. “Closure?”

Archie would like to roll his eyes at this word, silently cursing the day when they came up with it. “I know… but where will it lead us?”

This is the very first time they dare to speak directly about the meaning behind their daily meetings… and Archie can see how insecurity appears in Betty’s eyes.

“It… will lead you to Atlanta”. Her voice is soft and his hands are slowly letting go of her cheeks but her face stays as close to his as before. “I mean that’s why were doing this, right? We’re saying goodbye”. He can tell by the strange look on her face that even she notices how senseless her words sound but Archie can’t even blame her for that… he isn’t able to explain this situation either.

“And what if I wouldn’t go? I mean that purely hypothetical”, he asks suddenly, not really sure where this question is coming from. “Would we still… be doing this? Or is this just… goodbye sex?”

His question seems to catch her off guard, but she still doesn’t back away from him. She stays silent for a long while, her eyes wandering over his face while he feels like he is sitting on the edge of a knife.

“What do you want me to say, Archie?”, Betty suddenly replies, her voice barely a whisper.

A deep breath escapes his lips and he closes his eyes for a moment. “I don’t know.”

_Am I even important to you anymore?_

_Why exactly are we doing this?_

_Would the things be different, If I wouldn’t go away?_

All these questions are lingering in the back of his mind, but before he gets the chance to ask one of them, Betty speaks again. “I just now that… I care about you. You’re important to me. And… I don’t really know what this between us is… or was… but I just want to be close to you before you go. I can’t tell you why because I don’t have a reason… it’s just the way I feel”.

The honesty in her answer surprises him and he can see by the way her green eyes look at him with vulnerability written all over her face, that she is is just as clueless as him in this situation.

„I just know that I’m trying to live in the present from now on… I don’t want to think about the past, I don’t want to think about the future…“, Betty adds, her hands wandering back up to his shoulders while she speaks. „Because I know that… whatever is happening in my life right now… the only thing that is certain right now, is that you’re leaving in five days. And I don’t care about our past anymore, Archie. I only want to be by your side before you leave Riverdale behind.“

This is the first time she actually sounds a bit broken while she speaks and his hands move back up to her face, his fingers tracing over the soft skin of her cheeks. „Careful Betty… If you keep talking like this, I might start considering to return to Riverdale from time to time“.

His words are a light joke and she laughs quietly, her eyes closing while his fingers brush over her bottom lip. „And maybe I’ll be waiting here for you… Atlanta is just 14 hours away… that isn’t the end of the world“.

Her answer offers a beautiful view of a future they could have in another universe. A universe where their relationship never ended because of the distance between them. A universe where the things between them would be different.

But this right here is reality. And Archie should know that these silly jokes between them are probably nothing more than some daydreams.

And yet, there is a tiny spark of hope lighting up inside his body when Betty leans forward to seal her lips with his own.

Maybe we aren’t doomed to leave each other’s lives right here; he wonders.

Maybe there is a future for us somewhere down the road. And maybe… maybe Atlanta isn’t the worst destination after all.

At least, that’s what Archie believes when he gives in to Betty’s touch, forgetting his worries when they both fall back onto his pillows.

**•••**

One day later, Archie’s hopes about the near future are about the get shattered into pieces.

After spending the night with Betty in his old childhood room and beginning the next morning with his daily run through the streets of Riverdale, Archie begins his shift at the gym right after midday.

It’s 3 in the afternoon and he is teaching a family the basics of some simple boxing techniques, when Luke Perez enters the sports hall.

There is an unrecognizable look on his face when he is making his way through the gym and Archie and him share a short nod before he sits down on one of the benches beside the boxing ring, waiting for Archie’s next break.

And five minutes later, Archie has finally time to talk to his best friend. He shows the young family the spinning bikes at the other end of the room before he finally turns to Luke who has already gotten up from his seat beside the ring.

„Hey man, what are you doing here?“ Archie grabs a towel from the chair beside him, meeting the shadowed look on Luke’s face.

„This was delivered today“, the blonde guy answers and that’s the first time Archie is noticing the letters in Luke’s hand.

His brows are furrowed in confusion when he takes the letter Luke reaches him and while he is opening the document, his best friend is already telling him what this is all about. „Seems like Atlanta isn’t the only option…“.

„Wait…“. Archie doesn’t really understand what Luke is saying there before he finally takes a direct look at the letter inside his hands, his eyes now fixed on the familiar stamp and address. „… this letter is from the Navy?“

„They want us to go to Al-Tanf“. This time Luke’s words aren’t as casual as before and Archie looks back up to him, an expression filled with shock written on his face. „Are you telling me they want us to go to Syria?“

„Well, if your letter is saying the same thing as mine then I guess you’re right“, Luke simply says and Archie takes another look at the papers inside his hands, his eyes immediately getting stuck on the words _United States military base, Syria’s Homs Governorate, Al-Tanf_.

„Before you freak out, this isn’t an official mission letter or something like that“, Luke adds while are keeps starring at the document like it’s the first time he is seeing written words in his life. „What do you mean with that?“

„It’s not a compulsory job. They are currently searching for a new recruits. I’ve called a few people from our class before I got here and it seems like the people with the best qualifications are getting this letter. Here… look at this“. Luke takes a step forward, his finger swiping over the paper in Archie’s hand, pointing at a paragraph at the bottom of the document. „… it’s voluntary. Which means…“.

„Which means we can still go to Atlanta“, Archie finishes his sentence with a dry voice, not really believing that he is actually holding a ticket to Syria in his hands.

All of these new informations are making him feel like his head is about to explode any second and he folds the letter back together, his eyes finding Luke’s again, a playful but also insecure laugh lingering on his lips. „That’s crazy… Syria“. He laughs again while he takes the towel from his shoulders, swinging over the railing beside him, amused and shocked about these news.

And then he notices the look on Luke’s face… and he realizes that this whole conversation is about to get even more difficult. There is a cold expression lingering on his best friend’s face as Archie asks: „Wait, you don’t really want to go there, do you?“

The weird look on Luke’s face doesn’t disappear and Archie can feel how a hint of nervousness is rising in his chest. „Luke… this is Syria we’re talking about. This isn’t some other practice day on another football field, this isn’t another training day. This is a real war“.

„I know what it is“, the blonde guy replies with a strong voice.

„Then why on earth are you looking like you’re about to jump into the next plane to fly to Syria right now?“

„Because I will“, is Luke’s answer and this time Archie is sure he can see the shock on his face.

„Are you crazy?“

Luke shakes his head with a light and strange smile on his face. „No, I’m not crazy…“.

„Then why are we even talking about the war right now?!“

„Because we’re in the Navy, Andrews!“ This time Luke’s response is a bit louder than before, his voice echoing through the whole gym. „We’re part of the Army… and I know that this might sound insane, but I chose this life for a reason. I want to help people, I want to do my duty and help this land. I want to do whatever I can to…“.

„… to make your father proud?“ Archie knows his words might seem harsh and he can see on the way Luke’s expression switches from pride to anger that he kind of hit a nerve there. „Common Luke, you told me the story about you and your father about a million times. I know that you wanted to get out of this house because of your bad relationship with him.“

„That might be true, Andrews“, Luke replies with a lower voice this time. „But believe it or not, I had more reasons to join the Navy back then. And I’m having enough reasons to go to Syria now as well.“

„Alright, then let me name you a reason why you should stay“, Archie shots back, the fear in shock in his bones showing on the panic in his eyes. „What about Sarah? I guess she didn’t get an invitation too?“

That’s the first time Luke actually shows some other emotion than just strength on his face and Archie can tell that the mention of Sarah is hitting him at a soft spot. „Sarah knows about my decision“.

„And she is fine with it?“

„She will understand it sooner or later“.

This time Archie can’t hide the slightly hysteric laughter which is slipping over his lips. „Luke… this is crazy“.

„Maybe it is“, the blonde guy simply replies, his voice now much clearer and calmer than before. „But I’m doing this, Archie. You can’t change my mind about that“.

They stare at each other for a long moment after that while Archie slowly begins to realize that the decision his friend made already seems to be irrevocable.

„You’re really doing this“, Archie states with a neutral tone.

„I am“. Luke’s eyes fall to the papers in Archie’s hand. „The only question left is… where will you go?“

They fall into silence for a long moment, the shocking news slowly reaching Archie’s mind. „Luke, I…“. _I don’t even know what to say._

„You don’t have to answer to this now“, his best friend replies while he is pointing at the document in Archie’s hands. „We have three days to decide“.

_Great… how generous._

„So… when I’m seeing this right…“, Archie begins slowly. „… then I have to decide if I’ll go to Atlanta with Sarah… or if I’ll go to Al-Tanf with you“.

Luke only nods as an answer while his strong expression switches into something much more compassionate. „I know this sucks, Archie. But you have to decide this on your own… what will it be? Atlanta or Syria?“

Archie feels so overwhelmed with all these informations that he can’t even feel Luke’s hand on his shoulder when his best friend is walking past him.

„I’ll go back to the house… I still need to talk with Sarah about a few things. I just wanted to bring you the letter as soon as possible“.

Archie only nods while he is silently showing him that he is thankful for his effort.

„I’ll see you later, Andrews“.

Archie turns his head just in time to see how Luke is leaving the gym with slow steps and he stares at the door for what feels like forever, not really sure what exactly he is feeling in this moment.

Shock because he didn’t expect such news right now.

Fear because his best friend signed up for a life in danger.

Confusion because he doesn’t know what he is thinking about all of this.

And somewhere, deep down inside his soul, he can feel the aching pain which is caused by the possibility that he has to make a life-changing decision all over again.

Archie always knew that joining the Navy wouldn’t be the most easiest thing in his life.

But now that he is finally at a place where he is feeling good about his future… everything seems to fade away right in front of his eyes.

He was happy about Atlanta.

Maybe because of the fact that he would spent the next four years with his friends by his side.

Maybe because Atlanta seemed like a perfect place to spent the upcoming years in peace.

And maybe… maybe because Atlanta is only 14 hours away from Riverdale.

 _It’s silly to think about that;_ he realizes.

But it’s not new to him that whenever something big is happening in his life, only one face seems to appear in front of his eyes. That’s why he can’t help but to think about Betty in this moment.

He knows that whatever is going on between them is supposed to end in four days anyway. But maybe he got used to the idea that moving to Atlanta wouldn’t mean the absolute ending of his friendship with the girl next door.

It was a sweet idea to think about a future where he still had the opportunity to keep in contact with Betty. It seemed easy to roll along with the plans the universe made for him and moving to Atlanta would have been a great start to focus on the important things in his life. 

But now that he has to make a decision again… everything is starting to fall apart right in his hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all a big thank you to all the people who left a comment or a kudo on the latest chapter! You don't know how much that means to me so thank you for that!! I'll answer every comment tomorrow!! ❤️  
> And can we please just ignore that the Navy and the Army aren't the same thing? :D  
> I started writing this story back when it looked like Archie was going to join the Navy and I didn't know that the Army is something totally different. Let's just pretend that the Army and the Navy are the same thing, alright?  
> This chapter is one that has been a long time coming and it felt refreshing to finally write some "romantic" scenes between Betty and Archie again.  
> And I know some scenes between Betty and Archie might feel a bit rushed right now, but we'll get so see the same moments form Betty's pov in the next chapter as well :)  
> This is actually the longest chapter I've ever written!  
> It would mean the world to me to know what you are thinking about this chapter! :)  
> I wish you all a nice day!


	15. August

**"But I can see us lost in the memory**  
**August slipped away into a moment in time**  
**'Cause it was never mine**  
**And I can see us twisted in bedsheets**  
**August sipped away like a bottle of wine**  
**'Cause you were never mine."**

Betty Cooper has always known that a huge part of her life is destined to revolve around Archie Andrews in one way or another. It’s always been the two of them… and nothing changed that for a very long time. But then… well puberty happened and things like rich, pretty girls and murder mysteries started to get in the way, slowly digging a trench between the life-long friends and after months of trying to hold on to the boy next door, Betty started to realize that letting go of him might be easier than to desperately try to hold on to him.

The thing is, Betty always knew that she had a place in Archie’s heart. She knew it when he started to fall in love with Veronica. She knew that when he left for the Naval Academy. She knew it the moment he followed from the gym her to her hotel room, all breathless and everything.

That’s the thing with life-long-friends. They don’t just disappear just because your turn your back on them. And they won’t get out of your head just because you want them to. At least not that kind of friend who is also so much more than just your neighbor.

Because this is Archie right here in her hotel room. This is her best friend who is getting her undressed on this huge king-sized bed. This is her ex-lover who is mumbling her name against her skin the moment she is finally able to feel him as close as possible to her own body again.

And after years of friendship, years of playing boyfriend and girlfriend, years of enduring the pain of a breakup and years of distancing themselves from each other…

_… they ended up here again._

Tangled around each other’s bodies, touching each other with so much more desire than ever before, desperately trying to smother the fire that has been burning between them for the last twenty years.

Betty loves the way Archie touches her… she always has. Maybe the connection between them is build from the time they spent as children, maybe it’s a simple instinct they developed for each other over the last twenty years. But everything with Archie feels intense and easy at once and Betty stops thinking when they finally sleep with each other in her Hotel room. She blocks every other thought out of her mind and simply enjoys the closeness to his body, drowning in the feeling of holding him closer than ever before.

And for a moment, Betty actually believes that giving in to her desires will kill that little spark inside her soul which seems to light up every time Archie is standing in the same room as her.

But that doesn’t work.

She already knows that the moment he is about to leave her again, sitting down on the edge of the bed, putting on his clothes while she tries to find some fitting words to say. Unfortunately, there are none.

A part of her wants him to stay… but the other part is reminding her of the reason why they did this in the first place. _Closure._

And she will never get closure if she keeps tearing these old wounds open like a few minutes ago. She needs to let him leave. Even though her heart sinks to her stomach when she watches him disappear out of the room.

If that’s what closure feels like… she isn’t sure if she even wants it anymore.

**•••**

The weird feeling of not really knowing how to behave or what to think doesn’t disappear the next day. Betty tries to concentrate on her work as best as she can, her tired eyes scanning the documents on her desk, but her mind keeps wandering back to the day before while a restless longing is aching inside her body.

She shouldn’t be thinking about Archie anymore.

But Betty was never good at following her own plans.

**•••**

24 hours later, the chaos inside her head isn’t only still here but it also got worse over time. After a sleepless night with tossing and turning around in her hotel bed and endless imagines of the red-haired boy next door crossing her mind every time she is closing her eyes, Betty slowly starts to realize that whatever the both of them did a day ago… it wasn’t enough.

Because closure should be freeing, closure should feel good.

But that’s clearly not the case this time and when Betty gets up to work the next morning a part of her is already sure where she will be going the same night.

It’s not a surprise when she is walking into the Hotel lounge around 9 in the evening, finally giving in to the invisible string which seems to tie her to Archie Andrews like a damn steel rope. There are a few different feelings flying around in her head when she is spotting Archie on the stage and the moment his surprised eyes meet her across the room Betty already knows that coming here was the right decision.

Whatever it is that seems to tie them together… she is willing to cut that connection apart if that would guarantee a future where she can finally be free from this burning desire in her chest.

Betty wants to be able to think clear again. And something as simple as that isn’t possible as long as Archie is spooking around in her head like a ghost.

So she is telling herself that she is doing this for her future.

_I just need this closure. I need to be free again._

Betty has always been good at lying to herself. This time isn’t different.

_I just want to give us closure before we have to part ways again._

But somehow, she is getting cold feet before Vortex is playing the last song of the night. The blood seems to boil in Betty’s veins when she is catching Archie’s eyes on stage again and for a moment it feels like the air is getting stuck inside her lungs.

_What am I even doing here?_

Before she knows it, she is paying for her drink and gripping her purse while she is leaving the lounge with fast steps, taking a deep breath once she stumbles into the hallway, her shaky legs almost giving in beneath her trembling body.

_This is crazy. I shouldn’t even be here._

She makes her way to the lobby with a dizzy feeling inside her bones, completely determined to return to her room before she can do something stupid.

But the moment she is stopping in front of one of the many elevators she holds in, her fingers hanging in the air right above the little, golden switch on the wall.

If I go now… I will never get the closure that I want.

That realization is flooding through her body like a wave of truth and she takes a deep breath before she turns back around. She smiles at the old lady at the reception before she leaves the Hotel and when she makes her way to the dark parking lot, the refreshing night air is cooling her down a little bit.

She is relieved when she finally finds Archie’s car in the shadows of the night and she closes her eyes when she leans against the cold car door, her eyes closed for a long moment while she is listening to the far distant noises of the country road.

It’s a cold night for August but Betty feels like her nervousness is setting her body on fire while she is waiting for Archie to leave the Hotel and in the moment she realizes that the chances of his friends leaving with him are higher than she thought they would be, she can see one single shadow making it’s way through the dark parking lot.

The silhouette and the movements are all it takes for Betty to realize it’s Archie who is walking up to her and the moment she pushes herself off the car door he finally sees her as well.

„What are you doing here?“ The surprise in his voice is obvious and she moves two steps away when he puts his guitar bag on his backseat. When he turns back around to her, his eyebrows are furrowed in a questioning way. “Betty…?”

And the moment the silence of the night is surrounding them she can feel the tension between them rising all over again and before she can talk herself out of it, she simply states: “I’ll need more”.

Archie closes the backseat door while he keeps starring at her, his voice now drier that before. “More of what?”

“Closure”. Her voice is trembling while the desperation and helplessness of the last two days are crushing down on her and she decides that telling the truth would be the best thing right now. “I know this sounds crazy…. And god, I really don’t want to sound as insane as I’m feeling right now… but what happened between us two days ago was… I don’t know what it was. Well I thought it was closure, but I kept thinking about that and I’m not really sure if this really worked… and now I’m here and…”.

He interrupts her when their eyes meet again and she is glad about that. “Are you trying to say that… you want more closure?”

Something about the look in his eyes is making her body freeze and burn at the same time and she can feel how the wall between them is breaking down all over again.

“Yes”, she answers, her voice now stronger than before. „I figured out that we’ll need more of it when it’s supposed to work and I know that you’re leaving in two weeks and I don’t want to sound crazy, so please tell me to stop when you don’t understand what I’m talking about because I feel like I’m kind of insane and…“. 

It feels like Archie is letting her speak for a while and the look on his face seems like he is kind of enjoying the chaos in her speech before he finally crosses the small distance between them and shows her his answer to her unspoken question with nothing more than a kiss.

Normally Archie is never the one who is shutting her up like this but when it happens, the moment is usually filled with many emotions at once.

There is happiness between them when his lips crash down on hers.

There is hunger between them when he wraps his arms around her.

There is longing between them when she presses her body against his.

And there is the freeing feeling of surrender when they both give in to the desire that seems to connect them over time and space.

Somehow they end up in his car with Betty sitting on top of him on the driver’s seat, her fingers working on the belt around his jeans while his hands move up her bare legs, brushing her dress to the side and Betty moans against his lips because – screw it, this is all she wants right now.

“Is this enough closure?”, Archie groans against her mouth and she smirks against his opened lips when she finally manages to push his jeans down enough to sink down on him, her head falling back in pleasure while her hands cling to his hair like they used to before. 

„I think we’ll need more of this to get enough“, she finally manages to answer and the moment her his dark eyes meet hers she knows this was the right thing to do.

„I’ll see what I can do“. 

There are so many unspoken things between them but he is showing her the most important one with his hands on her tights and his tongue against her neck and she closes her eyes in pleasure, silently praying that this moment will go on like this forever. 

**•••**

Betty was never that friends-with-benefits kind of girl. She gave her virginity to Jughead because of trust and affection and the sweet high-school love that used to connect them back in their teenage years. She slept with Archie because she was madly in love with him when they both left for different colleges five years ago. She had a one-night-stand in New Haven after that one party night that got a little out of control. She slept with Evan because it was the only thing that was pulling her out of the depression she felt back then and she kept on doing it because she fell in love with him over time.

Sex was always a way to either prove someone her love or to feel something similar to love, even if it’s just a lie.

And now she is here, 24 years old and finally realizing that sex doesn’t always have to be linked to some sort of desperate or romantic emotions. She is young, she is free and for the first time in her life Betty simply enjoys the feeling of wanting nothing more than the physical pleasure Archie Andrews is offering her during the last days of August.

This has nothing to do with emotions… at least that’s what she keeps telling herself every time she meets Archie in different places of this small town.

“Is it weird that we’re doing this? This friends with benefits thing… I mean… shouldn’t that be weird for us?”, she asks him when they are eating dinner at Pop’s one evening, his dark eyes glaring at her over the table.

His answer is honest and a complete reflection of the things she is feeling as well. „Well… I can think about one hundred reasons why this is a bad idea… best friends since childhood… ex lovers… about to be parted again by the almighty force of destiny… it’s save to say that there are a million reasons why this is a bad idea“. 

She smiles when she answers to his words. “And yet… we’re doing it”.

The laugh coming over his lips is pure. “Exactly”.

They end up doing it on the backseat of his car again in the same night, both of them mumbling something about closure from time to time. 

**•••**

Five days after they made out in his car, they drive to the little lake outside of the town. It’s one of the last hot summer days of August and the sun is burning down on their heads when they jump into the little watering place they used to go to when they were children and for the first time in forever Betty is feeling like she is as free as the birds chirping in the trees around them.

It’s one of those days the blonde woman is able to distance herself from her job or the fact that her love life is still standing on this ice and all of these problems get swept aside once she jumps into Archie’s arms, the water splashing around them, glittering in the sunlight.

For once second they feel like the children they used to be, carefree and happy playing in the cooling water. And the next moment Betty’s fingers cling to Archie’s back while his arms pull her closer to his body and they get reminded that this between them isn’t just build on a year-long friendship. They burn for each other. They long for each other. And they finally feel each other again.

It’s the first time they have sex in the water and even though it’s something purely physical, it feels like it’s so much more than that. Because with every touch it feels like old memories get washed away with the water and Betty clings to Archie like he is the last rock in the surf around her.

She doesn’t really know what they are doing here… all she knows that he shouldn’t hold her hand when they walk back to his car when the sun starts to set behind the trees.

_This is just physical. This is just closure._

But that doesn’t change the fact that she can feel the touch of his hands in her dreams that night.

**•••**

Nine days after the night in the parking lot, Betty sends Archie a message from her office at the FBI station.

_“Do you want to eat lunch with me? It’s pizza day… 😘” – **Betty Cooper, 11:52am**_

She smiles like an idiot when she tries to focus on her paperwork the following five minutes before she gets his reply.

_“I’ll be right there” **– Archie Andrews; 11:57am**_

And when the clock strikes 12 he is knocking against her opened office door, dressed in his training clothes from working at the gym down the street and there is a small smirk in the corner of his mouth when she closes the door behind him, turning around to him with an wide smile.

When she jumps into his arms he laughs against her lips. “Hey… I’m a bit disappointed… where the hell is the pizza?”

“Oh would you please shut up”, is all she mumbles and he laughs even more before he grabs her body and lays her down on the desk, the documents beside her getting shoved out of the way with one smooth movement.

Betty loves this new side of their relationship. There isn’t any awkwardness, there isn’t nervousness anymore. There is just the lust she can see in his eyes when he is starring down at her and she reaches up, pulling him in her direction to seal his lips with her own, smiling when she can feel his hands pulling up the skirt she is wearing today.

And that’s the first time Betty Cooper has sex in her office and she silently thanks Charles for giving her her own room a few weeks ago.

Forgotten is the pizza that never existed in the first place, gone are his shorts and her underwear and desperate is Betty’s desire for more than just his lips on her skin.

“Archie?”, she mumbles while his fingers trace down lines on her naked thighs, his tongue painting a picture against the sensitive skin of her neck.

“Hm?”, is his soft answer and he pulls away, his dark eyes meeting her own.

“Now”. Her voice is low, her demand simple and he understands without another word when he pushes her legs open a bit more, trusting into her in an angle that makes her groan and she closes her eyes when he puts his hand over her mouth, reminding her that the walls in this building aren’t the thickest.

 _Whatever this is;_ Betty wonders in her mind while she relaxes against Archie’s body, closing her legs around his back to bring him even closer to her. _If it’s closure… if it’s a goodbye… if it’s something else… it’s definitely the hottest thing I’ve ever done._

**•••**

Betty spends the next two days without seeing or hearing from Archie and a part of her is glad about that. There are some open cases she has to focus on at work and she meets up with Kevin on Tuesday afternoon, talking about simple things like paying bills and shopping groceries while they are sitting in a booth at Pop’s. 

“So what is this thing between you and Archie?”, Kevin asks her after she finally gave in and told him about the newest turn of events.

“I’m not sure”, she answers honestly. “All I know is that he will move to Atlanta… and I want to enjoy the time I have left with him”.

“But friends with benefits… I don’t know Betty… isn’t this a bit too much for you guys? I mean with that history…”.

“I know this sounds stupid”, she replies immediately. “But strangely… it works.”

Kevin stays silent for a moment before he replies. “And what about Evan? Did you hear from him?”

“No”. Betty shakes her head while the uncomfortable feeling of guilt is rising in her chest. “He isn’t answering any of my calls… and I’m wondering if he will ever call me back”.

Kevin only nods and they don’t talk about Archie or Evan again that evening… but Betty knows that nothing regarding her love life isn’t done nor finished just like that.

**•••**

One day later, Betty is visiting Archie right after her shift at work. It’s a strange feeling to park right in front of his house, knowing that he won’t be living there much longer than a few more days.

A natural smile breaks over her lips when he opens her the front door and he leads her up to his room. It hurts to see the house this empty.

“Wow… things are starting to get real now”, she says when her eyes wander through the almost empty room.

“Yeah. It’s crazy… in five days, I’ll never walk through this house again”.

She takes a few steps forward, stopping right in front of the window at the end of the room. “We’re never gonna be neighbors again”.

He sounds a bit amused when he shows up right next to her and she stares at his reflection in the glass in front of her.

And somehow, this is the moment it really hits her.

_He is leaving. He is leaving in five days. And that will be it._

The realization of that is bringing up feelings inside her that she tried to push down for a while now and she can’t risk letting them slip out tonight. Betty always knew that her feelings for Archie are running much deeper than any physical attraction. But this time, she isn’t ready to face that reality. Because the truth doesn’t matter this time, does it?

He will leave and she will have to face a world without him once again.

“I prefer this side of the window”. Her words are supposed to distract her from the pain inside her heart and she does the one thing that seems to push every single thought out of her mind. _She kisses him._

“I’m leaving in five days”, is all he mumbles against her lips.

“I know”.

Somehow they end up on his bed with her sitting on his lap – a position they are used to by now – but the moment Betty leans in for another kiss his hands are suddenly on her cheeks and she is forced to look into his eyes.

“Betty… what is this between us?” His question is quiet and low, and Betty is letting her hands slide down from his shoulders, her answer a softly spoken question. “Closure?”

He doesn’t seem too happy with her answer and she can feel how her blood begins to race through her veins. “I know… but where will it lead us?”

“It… will lead you to Atlanta”. While Betty is speaking it seems like she is trying to answer his question to herself as well. “I mean that’s why we’re doing this, right? We’re saying goodbye”.

His hands slide down from her cheeks, his face staying as close as before. “And what if I wouldn’t go? I mean that purely hypothetical. Would we still… be doing this? Or is this just… goodbye sex?”

That question catches her off guard and even though she tries her best to tear her eyes away from his, he seems to hold her tight with an invisible grip.

“What do you want me to say, Archie?”, she whispers, her helplessness mirroring on her face.

A deep breath escapes his lips and she watches how he closes his eyes for a moment. “I don’t know”.

It’s almost like she can feel his confusion in the way his fingertips softly drift over her skin and even though Betty doesn’t have an answer to any of his questions, she tries her best to pull them out of this misery. “I just now that… I care about you. You’re important to me. And… I don’t really know what this between us is… or was… but I just want to be close to you before you go. I can’t tell you why because I don’t have a reason… it’s just the way I feel”.

He opens his eyes while she speaks and even though the intensity of his stare is about to shut her up, she keeps explaining her point of view. „I just know that I’m trying to live in the present from now on… I don’t want to think about the past, I don’t want to think about the future…“, Betty adds, her hands wandering back up to his shoulders while she speaks. „Because I know that… whatever is happening in my life right now… the only thing that is certain right now, is that you’re leaving in five days. And I don’t care about our past anymore, Archie. I only want to be by your side before you leave Riverdale behind.“ 

This is the first time she actually sounds a bit broken while she speaks and his hands move back up to her face, his fingers tracing over the soft skin of her cheeks. „Careful Betty… If you keep talking like this, I might start considering to return to Riverdale from time to time“. 

His words are just a silly joke to light up the mood but she smiles relieved, leaning a bit closer to his face when she replies: „And maybe I’ll be waiting here for you… Atlanta is just 14 hours away… that isn’t the end of the world“. 

Her answer is making him laugh and she is proud about that when she seals his lips with his own, trying to push the future away while they both fall back onto his pillows.

**•••**

When Betty tries to call Archie the next day, he doesn’t answer.

That is nothing that she usually worries about but when she calls him again after work and he still doesn’t pick up the phone, she sends him a short message.

_“Everything okay?” **– Betty Cooper, 6:14pm**_

When she gets to the Hotel and reaches her room she finally gets an answer.

_“Yes, everything alright. Just a bit busy today. I’ll call you tomorrow” **– Archie Andrews, 6:31pm**_

She furrows her brows for a moment while she stares down at her phone, wondering what on earth is left to do in an already empty house.

_“Okay. See u tomorrow!” **– Betty Cooper, 6:35pm**_

He doesn’t answer to her message and Betty tries her best to ignore the weird feeling inside her chest when she goes to sleep that night, even though she ends up dreaming about Archie anyway.

**•••**

Betty gets woken up by her phone the next morning and her eyes are only half opened when she takes a look at the small display.

_“Our baby-boy is here! Come and welcome Jason Topaz into the world!” – **Cheryl Blossom, 7:11am**_

For a solid minute, Betty is still too sleepy to realize what exactly she is reading there until the message finally sinks in. _Toni got the baby!_

There is a second where Betty is almost falling out of her bed when she sits up in an abrupt move and the first person she calls is Kevin Keller.

“Oh my god Betty, did you hear the news?”, is Kevin’s answer once he picks up the phone and Betty laughs, smiling at the wall of her Hotel room.

“Yes, I did! I think I’ll visit them today after work. What about you and Fangs?”

“We’re going this evening as well. We’ll see you there!”

“Perfect! I have to get ready for work now, but we’ll see each other later”. 

“See you there, Betty!”

When Betty leaves for work that morning the sun seems to shine a bit brighter than usual and she smiles when she steps into her office and sits down to go through the current opened cases. But her mind keeps wandering back to Toni and Cheryl and even though she knows that Archie wanted to call her today, she decides to take a step in his direction.

So, she grabs her phone and calls him around midday and she is more than glad that he finally picks up the phone.

“Hi Betty, I’m sorry that I was busy yesterday”, is his first sentence and she smiles into the phone, her fingers playing with the pen inside her hand. “It’s okay. Did you hear the news?”

“You mean the baby news?”, he replies.

“Yes. I want to visit Toni and Cheryl tonight. So, I thought that you might want to join me…?”. Her question is soft and she waits for his answer for a short moment.

“Yeah, why not. I would love to”. Even though his words seem polite, there is something in his voice that doesn’t sound quiet right to Betty.

“I’ll be done with work at 5. Should I pick you up?”

“That would be great”.

“Okay…”. She pauses for a moment before she adds. “I’ll see you later”.

“I’ll see you then”.

The conversation ends a bit abrupt, but Betty tries to ignore that for now. She has other things to focus on right now… even though Archie Andrews seems to spook through her mind if she wants it or not.

**•••**

It’s a few minutes after 5pm when Betty leaves the office and gets inside her car. She makes a short stop at the local house store and buys a little present basket filled with different kinds of baby utensils like rompers and diapers.

When she parks her car in front of Archie’s house it’s already half past five and when Archie opens the door and sits down beside her, he has baby bottle with a blue tie around it inside his hands. He laughs when he spots her basket on the backseat and she smiles at the sight of his own present.

“You know what they say”, he mumbles, waving the bottle in his hands whole he speaks. “Never show up with empty hands”.

Betty dares to take a look at him before she brings the car back on the street and the intense look in his eyes is making her heart flutter like every single time she sees him. _Damn it._

She doesn’t ask him about his weird voice from their telephone conversation earlier that day and she doesn’t ask about his absence yesterday. They simply talk about Toni and Cheryl and how surreal it seems that a few of their friends got married or are having children now.

When they arrive at Thistlehouse Kevin and Fangs are already in the living room, joined by Veronica, Reggie, Jughead and Jessica. A few of them are gathered around a couch where Toni is sitting on and when Betty and Archie step into the room Cheryl is the first one that greets them with the happiest smile Better ever saw on the red-haired girls face.

“Dearest cousin Betty… Archie… it’s so nice to see you two!” There is a hint of surprise in Cheryl’s eyes when she realizes that the two of them arrived together but she leads them into the living room nevertheless. Thistlehouse has always been an impressive but also dark house to Betty but this is the very first day the rooms of this building seem to shine in bright colors and light. Maybe the reason for that is the renovation Cheryl did with the whole house… but maybe the reason is that Toni has the most beautiful, little baby lying in her arms when they step closer to the middle of the room.

“Toni… he’s beautiful”, is all Betty can whisper when her eyes fall on the little boy with red hair and Archie beside her shifts when he takes a better look at the little baby in Toni’s arms.

Toni smiles up to them while she is slowly swaying the little boy. “He’s already two days old. I got home from the hospital yesterday and I wanted to show him to you guys now that we had some hours of rest… do you want to hold him, Betty?”

That question catches Betty off guard and she searches for some words for a long moment before she finally manages a surprised. “Yes, I would love to!”

This isn’t the first time Betty has been holding a baby in her life, she got plenty of practice with the twins of Polly over the last few years, but holding someone else’s new born baby is something entirely different.

“Hey…”, she whispers when Toni reaches her the little guy carefully and Betty is in an awe about how small this baby is looking right inside her arms. “… hello Jason. It’s so nice to meet you”.

“I was hoping that it would be a boy”, Cheryl beside her explains with a soft smile on her cherry-colored lips. “I think Jason would have loved that I’m honoring his name in that way”.

“I’m sure of that”, Betty whispers back, her eyes still stuck on the tiny baby in her arms.

And then the small group of people around them is falling into a light conversation about different kinds of stuff… the truth is Betty isn’t even listening to them anymore. She is entirely focused on the baby boy in front of her and she starts to swing her arms a little bit, humming the melody of an old children-song into the baby’s ears.

And when she lifts her gaze again she catches Archie’s eyes beside her and she smiles up to him, meeting his soft smile in the middle.

“He’s so cute”, she whispers in his direction and Archie nods with a smile in the corner of his mouth. “Do you want to hold him?”

He seems shocked about her question but before he can find a way out of it she is softly reaching him the baby in a slow motion and Archie holds his arms in a clumsy way before Cheryl is teaching him how he needs to hold the baby correctly.

Betty takes a small step back when Archie is holding Jason in his arms and she watches how their friends are all talking to him, partly laughing about the fact that this seems to be the very first time Archie is holding a baby in his arms, partly because he seems to be more stressed about it than anybody else in this room.

And then there is this one moment.

The moment Archie’s eyes find Betty’s on the other side of the group and time seems to be frozen for a few seconds. At first Betty doesn’t really notice that the smile on her face seems to fade away but once she does, she desperately tries to find the reason why she is suddenly feeling this sad.

And then when her eyes fall to the baby inside Archie’s hand, she starts to realize a few things at once. First of all, seeing how happy Toni and Cheryl are right now is reminding Betty that she is far away from the lifestyle these two are living right now. There are also Reggie and Veronica standing at the other side of the room, both of them talking about something that seems to put a big smile on both of their faces and there are Kevin, Fangs, Jughead and Jessica all living their beautiful couple years… and Betty is forced to face the harsh reality, that she isn’t only far away from any of these lives her friends are already living, it also feels like she is stuck in dreamland about what could have been.

Because when her eyes move back up to Archie, she realizes that a part of her is sad because of the simple fact that she spent all her childhood years fantasizing about her adult life and her future with Archie by her side. And now he is standing there like a picture-perfect man, holding a baby with red hair… and all Betty can think about is how similar and yet so different this is to what she had imagined to happen.

 _I wanted this for so long;_ she realizes with a lump in her throat.

And watching Archie holding a baby like this is reminding her about the reality she is living right now. And this reality includes the fact that her and Archie’s ways are about to part again and somehow she manages to screw up every other relationship she had during the last few years. There is Jughead who she ended up hurting at the end of their relationship. There is Evan who is still waiting for an answer in New York. And there is Archie who seems to be a big question mark for the rest of her life.

Betty shakes these numb feelings away when Toni pulls her into a conversation about her work at the FBI station but even though Betty keeps smiling for the rest of the evening, she can feel Archie’s worried eyes on her the entire time.

**•••**

Their car ride two hours later is completely silent. Betty is driving the car through the night with the radio quietly playing in the background and it’s hard to ignore Archie’s presence on the passenger seat right beside her.

When she finally reaches his house, he finally breaks the silence. “This was a nice evening”. His words aren’t sarcastic or rude but she can tell he isn’t really sure what to say either. There is a weird mixture of unspoken words hanging in the air and neither of them seems to be willing to talk about it.

“Yeah”, Betty simply replies when she parks the car, her eyes drifting to Archie beside her.

Silence follows while his fingertips tap on the side of his legs and Betty realizes that it’s already Friday night… and Archie will leave on Sunday.

A shaky breath escapes her mouth and she can see how he raises his eyebrows in a questioning way. She looks back at him, the frustration of all these weird feelings inside her flooding back to the surface and all she wants to do is hold on to each moment she can get. Her eyes fall to his lips and he notices because – hell, he always does – but before she can lean in for a kiss he says: “Betty I can’t invite you inside tonight”. A playful smile appears on his lips. “My bed is gone… I’m sleeping on the couch for the last two nights… and Luke, Sarah and Jerry are sleeping there as well”.

A silent laugh comes over Betty’s lips as she is letting her head fall back in frustration before she gets a solution for their problem. “Hey, do you want to come inside for a little while?”

Her eyes fall on the dark Cooper house right in front of the car and she can feel how Archie follows her gaze. “Your old house?”

“Mom and FP are gone for the weekend”, she explains while she is already pulling the keys out of her bag. “And Jellybean is living at her campus for… two years now, I think”.

There is something thankful in Archie’s eyes when she looks back at him. “Okay. After you”.

That’s how they end up in Betty’s old house for the first time in five years.

“Wow… nothing really changes in here, huh?”, Archie states when she turns on the lights in her old room and they step inside.

“Nothing really changed in your old room as well”, she replies with a smile. “Well… before you got rid of the furniture, I mean”.

“True”.

She watches how he turns around in the middle of the room, his eyes on the many pictures on the walls around them. “It’s crazy… we were so young back then”.

“Yeah… we were”.

There is a weird awkwardness hanging in the air that Betty can’t quiet explain this time. It’s not like they aren’t used to be on their own again. But somehow something changed this evening and she knows by the way they keep talking about senseless and unimportant stuff that both of them are trying to escape the need to talk about their problems.

But right now, all Betty wants to do is to get a clear mind about everything. “You know what… I think I’ll take a shower”.

She turns around to leave the room again when Archie replies. “Do you want me to join you?”

When she turns back around and his eyes meet hers, the tension that has been lingering between them for a while now is breaking over them once again and it feels like Betty’s heart skips a bit when she tries to think of an good answer. Turns out she doesn’t even need to answer… he already knows what she wants to say by the way she keeps looking at him.

And the next thing she knows is that they are standing in her bathroom, tearing each others clothes away like it’s the most easiest thing in the world.

Screw this overthinking… screw the future… screw the plans I made when I was a little girl.

Betty decides to simply enjoy the moment when they step under the warm water and the feeling of water and Archie’s hands running down her body is creating goosebumps all over her skin.

After a day filled with waiting and low moments Betty simply gives in to the longing inside her chest and she presses her body against Archie’s, sealing his lips with her own. They never had sex in a shower before and Betty is more than glad that there are things in life they still get to experience together.

The ground of the shower is slippery as hell when Betty moves a bit closer to Archie and he presses her to his chest when she is about to slip away. Her laugh against his lips turns into a groan once his hand finds its way to her hair, his fingers pulling on a few strands while his teeth tuck on her earlobe, sending shivers down all over her body. After spending so much time together Archie learned how and where to touch her to make her moan like this but Betty also knows where to touch him to make him hiss against her skin.

And suddenly his other free arm is wrapping around her body and he lifts her up in a seemingly easy way and the next thing Betty feels are the cold tiles of the shower wall behind her, pressing right against her skin and her mouth falls open in surprise, her whole body getting tense under the sudden coldness against her back. But then there is Archie’s tongue in her opened mouth and his hand which is putting soft pressure on the soft skin of her neck and she closes her eyes, feeling the enormous pleasure of this moment in every single inch of her trembling body.

She doesn’t know how he manages it to hold her up with one arm for this long, all she knows is that she needs to grab the shower curtain at one point, desperately trying to steady herself on something else than the man in front of her.

Gone are the sad emotions from before. All she is feeling right now is the warm water running down her body and the hot tongue of her best friend painting circles all over her body and the moment she can feel his hand cupping one of her breasts she can’t help but to let out a loud groan out of the back of her throat.

Betty never knew that taking a shower with someone else would bring this much pleasure but she is thanking the universe for this very moment when she can finally feel Archie pushing inside her like it’s the most natural thing on this world and her grip on the shower curtain gets even tighter while her other hand is whirled up in his wet hair.

Forgotten is the water around them, gone are the doubts for this night. All that remains is the feeling of having Archie this close to her and how his body seems to react to hers the same way hers is reacting to his. They are trapped in a circle of endless desire and Betty knows that once this will end… it will be the death of her.

So she enjoys every single second of it, her eyes closed the entire time, her fingers moving to Archie’s back, leaving marks on his skin while his movements seem to get faster with each heartbeat. It doesn’t take long for Betty to jump over the edge this time. Archie’s warm body, the feeling of the water around them and the taste of his skin against her tongue… all of that seems to mix up together and she finally gives up to keep going any longer and she is sure her fingers are pulling his hair a bit too much this time when she moans against his lips.

It’s a good thing that she isn’t standing on her own two feet because she knows her feet wouldn’t be able to hold her up any longer once the tension is leaving her body and she can feel Archie going through the same when his teeth sink into her lower lips, his fingers gripping onto her body like he is searching for something to hold on to.

They stay like this for a moment, both of them breathing each other’s air, forehead pressed against forehead while the only sound around them is coming from the water which is still running down their bodies.

“Archie?”, she finally manages to bring over her lips in a weak tone.

“Hm?” He sounds just as breathless as she does and she opens his eyes to look at his still closed ones.

“… we didn’t even wash our hair”. Her words make him laugh and he opens his eyes to stare at her and her heart sinks to her feet by the adorable look on his exhausted face.

“You’re right… important things first, huh?”, he replies with a grin and then he finally takes a slow step forward with his hands still on her waist to let her down to the shower floor and Betty clings to his arms when her feet touch the ground, her legs still a bit shaky.

There is an amused smile on Archie’s face as he watches her and she rolls her eyes, pointing at the other side of the shower. “Go and get the shampoo you jerk”.

**•••**

They end up sleeping in her old childhood bed that night, both of them passing out the minute they lay down, exhausted from the long day.

And when Betty wakes up the next morning, Archie’s arm is wrapped around her waist, his fingers tucked in the sleeping shirt she is wearing and she keeps her eyes closed for a few more minutes, simply enjoying the peacefulness this morning brings.

When she finally decides to leave the bed and she sits up and swings her feet out on the floor, she turns her face back to Archie for a moment, admiring the relaxed expression on his face… and her heart breaks a little when she realizes that he will leave for Atlanta in just one day.

The memories of the night before return to her head and the image of Archie with the little baby in his arms returns in her mind and she hates how painful it is to think about that. 

There is nothing that Betty wants more than to build a life with a person she loves. 

But the harsh reality is, that Archie can't be that person for her anymore. He will leave to Atlanta and this whole distance thing would get in the way once again. 

And even though it breaks her heart to admit it... she knows that she has to move on with her life just like Archie is moving on with his own. 

She has to find her own way again... even if that means she has to let him go for good this time. 

Betty decides to push that thought aside when she finally gets up and walks over to the bathroom, shaking her head to get rid of all these haunting thoughts.

Her tired eyes stare back at her from the mirror in front of her and she takes a look at the slight redness on her cheeks. Betty misses the times she used to wake up this happy every day. She misses the times when she was in a healthy relationship.

The moment she reaches for her toothbrush a sudden noise fills the small bathroom and it takes her a moment until she realizes that it’s the ringing tone of her mobile phone. After a minute of searching, she finally finds the phone on the small cabinet right beside the door where she left it the night before… and her heart stops when she reads the name on the display.

**_Evan Campbell – Incoming Call_ **

Her mind wanders back to the hundred times she tried to call him over the last few weeks… and now he is finally calling her back.

For a long moment she doesn’t even know how to react, her mind racing while she keeps starring at the phone…

… until she finally takes the call. “Hello?”

“Betty”. Evan’s voice sounds relieved when he replies and Betty tries to ignore the weird feeling of hearing his voice after such a long time. “I’m so glad you picked up the phone”.

She doesn’t say anything for a while. “Well… you never picked up the phone when I called, so I guess I just didn’t want you to feel the same way”. Her answer is a bit sassy and she is kind of proud about that.

“I guess I need to explain a few things to you”, Evan replies, his voice now slower than before.

A moment of silence follows and when he speaks the next time, Betty can clearly hear his voice break through the phone. “Betty, my dad had a heart attack a few days ago… he is in the hospital right now, but things aren’t looking that good for him…”.

This time, Evan’s voice breaks completely and she can hear his pain through the phone. “I know I should have called you back. But when I returned to New York I thought some distance and space would be the best for us, considering that I wanted you to find out what you want… and then when I wanted to call you back the thing with dad happened and things got out of control”.

He is speaking so fast that Betty has trouble to understand everything he’s saying and her heart breaks for him the moment she realizes that he is nearly crying on the other side of the phone.

“Evan…”. Her fingers cling around her phone but he interrupts her.

“No, please let me explain… I don’t want to bother you, I just wanted you to know why I haven’t called you back. I don’t know how things will turn out here in New York, I don’t know what will happen to my father…”, he continues. “I just wanted you to know about all of this. I mean you met him before… I thought you had a right to know”.

His voice falls silent after this and Betty closes her eyes for a moment, only listening to the beating of her heart inside her ears. She spent weeks with waiting for an call from Evan… and now that she knows the truth she is feeling more than bad about everything.

Betty knows Evan… Betty has known him for a couple of years now. And if there is one thing that really stood out for her from all his good qualities, then it would be his supportive side.

Evan was there for Betty in a time no-one else was. He was the one who helped her out of her depression in the time when she went through her break-up with Archie. He was the one who helped her move on and who was by her side through everything.

And now it feels like she has to return that favor.

“I’m coming to New York”. Her voice sounds like the voice of a stranger when she finally speaks and a part of her is surprised about this sudden decision. “I want to be there for you… I want to help you”.

“Betty, there isn’t much you can do…”, he begins but she interrupts him.

“I know… but I want to be there for you”. _I owe it to you, Evan;_ she adds in her mind.

He stays silent for a long while. “Betty listen, you don’t have to do this…”.

“I know… but I want to”. That’s the truth.

Betty Cooper has always been a person who felt responsible for the bad things that happened in other’s peoples lives. She felt responsible for the murders her father committed. She felt responsible for the cases she never got to solve at work.

But right now, she finally gets the chance to return this favor to someone who was once so understanding to her.

What is holding her here in Riverdale anyway?

Betty’s eyes wander back to the door of her room, a single tear forming in her eye when she thinks about Archie on the other side of the door.

_He will leave anyway. But Atlanta isn’t that far away. We will see each other again. Maybe after New York. Someday, when all of this mess is over._

Betty is convinced that now is the time to return to reality. Her days here in Riverdale felt like a daydream just like the many hours she spent with Archie by her side. She would sell her soul to get one more day with the boy next door and she would do anything to change destiny this time. 

The pretty picture of Archie with a baby in his hands she dreamt about when she was fantasizing about her future when she was little will never turn to life. 

A part of her already knows that Archie has chosen a different path in life and his days in Riverdale are counted. 

And now it's time for the girl next door to return to reality as well... even though it hurts like hell. 

“I’ll be there tomorrow”, she says to Evan, closing her eyes to wipe away the tear on her face. “I’ll see you there”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this was... an interesting chapter.  
> I would love to hear your thoughts on this one!  
> Also, I can't wait to watch the new episode this Wednesday!!!  
> I'll answer the comments to the last chapter tomorrow! A huge thank you to all the people who left a comment or a kudo!! 🖤


	16. Lost Without You

**Standing on the platform**   
**Watching you go**   
**It's like no other pain**   
**I've ever known**

**To love someone so much**   
**To have no control**   
**You said, "I want to see the world"**   
**And I said, "Go".**

_Holding a baby feels weird._

That’s the first thought that crosses Archie’s mind when he is standing in the living room of Cheryl’s and Toni’s home, Betty is handing him over the little guy and his first instinct is to immediately give him back to Toni beside him.

“You can do this… here, hold him a bit higher”, Cheryl explains to him and after a few seconds filled with struggling and self-doubt, he actually manages to hold the baby in a decent way.

_That’s… actually not that bad._

His eyes drift down to the sleeping baby in his arms, the few red hairs on his tiny head putting a smile on Archie’s face.

“See? It’s not that hard”, he can hear Toni whisper beside him and while the rest of the people start to fall back into their own little conversations Archie lifts his head up again, meeting Betty’s green eyes almost immediately.

There is this thing between Betty and Archie that allows them to read each other’s minds whenever they are looking at each other’s faces and Archie can feel Betty’s sadness by looking at the pained expression on her face.

_Something is wrong._

And it slowly dawns on him what is making her seem that lost in the middle of a room filled with familiar people. It’s the same shadow that seems to hush over Archie’s face from time to time, the same thoughts that are hiding in the back of his head almost every single second.

It’s their future. And the fact that they still don’t really know what they are doing.

There might be a child in his arms but Archie feels like he is slowly loosing every single connection to reality. Because in his mind, he keeps wondering how it is possible that he is closer to Betty than in the last few years before but somehow it still feels like there is an enormous distance between them. Their separate futures are tearing them apart again and even though this little game between them was never supposed to be more than just friends with benefits, Archie knows that there were too many old feelings in the way to pretend like nothing special is still going on between them.

He can feel it in the way Betty is starring back at him through the room and he can feel it by the pain inside his chest when she tears her eyes away from him, obviously hurt by the thoughts inside her mind.

This is pure torture. And Archie doesn’t know how to stop it.

**•••**

When Archie steps into Betty’s old bedroom a few hours later, it feels like reality is crashing down on him all over again. There is the pink color of her walls, there is her old bed to the right, there are still all her old books and pictures spread around every corner of the room. Everything in here seems to remind him of the days when they were younger, the days when they could play in here without thinking too much about it. Those were simpler days… days where Archie was convinced that he would never lose Betty in the future.

“Wow… nothing really changed in here, huh?”, is all he can bring over his mouth while he takes a look around the room, his eyes never really focusing on something directly.

“Nothing really changed in your old room as well… before you got rid of the furniture, I mean”.

Archie turns around to Betty when she answers, his eyes getting stuck on a few pictures on the wall beside him. “It’s crazy… we were so young back then”. _God, I miss these days._

“Yeah… we were”.

Her answer leads his eyes back to her face and he can see how she turns away as soon as their eyes meet. _So we are still avoiding the most important things, huh?_

The voice inside his head seems to mock him at this point.

_I have two days left in this town. Two days with you Betty… and it feels like you’re slipping through my fingers the more I try to reach out for you._

“You know what…”, Betty suddenly speaks, interrupting the silence around them. “I think I’ll take a shower”. She is trying to push him away again, that is more than obvious at this point.

But Archie has only one thing in his mind and that is the quiet sound of the sand running through the hourglass of their relationship. Every single grain of sand which is falling through the little opening in the middle of the glass is too much and Archie tries to hold on to each second like it’s the last chance he’ll ever get.

“Do you want me to join you?”

For a moment he fears that he might have asked too much but when her eyes drift back to him he can see his own desire is mirroring on Betty’s face.

And just like that, they end up in her bathroom, tearing each other’s clothes away and when he steps into the shower he pulls her closer as soon as the water hits them. He feels her lips on his when he closes his eyes and he picks her up only to push her up against he shower wall. The tiles are cold against her back and he can feel her bite down on his lips as a response to the coldness behind her. Holding her up like this gets a lot easier once he presses his body against hers, his hand tracing lines all over her body, his fingers moving from her neck down to her breast.

There are a lot of different things Archie loves about Betty.

He loves her cleverness; he loves her passion. He loves the way she seems to know everything he is thinking about and how she understands him without asking any questions.

And he loves how she trusts him in moments like this.

He loves how he is able to feel the goosebumps on her skin when he places a kiss on her collarbone.

He loves how her body moves against his in a needy and longing way.

He loves how it feels when he gives in to their desire and thrusts into her and everything around him seems to disappear.

There are Betty’s nails leaving marks on his back, there is the deep moan ringing in his ears when the warm water is running down both of their bodies and Archie closes his eyes and just _feels_.

There are a lot of different emotions coming together in this exact moment and Archie pushes all the bad ones aside, only focusing on the good ones this time. There isn’t time to think about the near future, there isn’t time to think about what could have been.

There is only Betty right here and the feeling of her wet skin on his own.

His fingers move over her throat, down to her breast and he moans against her lips when her legs cross behind his back, only pulling him closer to her body.

_This is heaven and hell all at once;_ Archie realizes.

It’s heaven because he is holding the most important woman in his life in his arms right now. And it’s hell because he knows this is just another moment that will fade away once he is leaving this town behind.

These thoughts get wiped away when the pressure in his body builds up to anunbearable amount of tension and he groans against her parted lips when he finally gives in and he can feel her whole body shutter against his own. 

They stay like this for a moment while they are both trying to catch their breath.

Coming down from the sensational high is like letting yourself fall with your eyes closed. It’s a relaxed and breathless moment but as soon as Betty almost slips over the shower floor after trying to take a small step, Archie can’t help but to break the comfortable silence with a loud laugh. She clings to his arms with an amused but also threatening glare on her face and he isn’t able to resist her request when her voice echoes through the steamed shower. “Go and get the shampoo you jerk”.

They don’t really talk much for the rest of the night and Archie tries his best to ignore the fact that he doesn’t even know what’s left to say between them at this point. He is stuck in a moment that tears on his heart like a firm grip he can’t quite understand and all he knows is that he is more than glad when Betty asks him to stay for the night.

It’s quite in the Cooper’s house when they turn off the lights and it’s even quieter when Archie is laying on the left side of Betty’s old bed, his eyes starring at the dark ceiling above him, his breathing coming over his lips in slow intervals like he is scared to break the silence between him and the blonde girl lying right beside him.

They aren’t even touching each other, there isn’t even one single parts of their bodies that are connected to each other right now… and yet, Archie can feel Betty’s presence right beside him so much clearer than ever before.

It’s the way he can hear her breathing in the dark, it’s the way he can feel her body heat right beside him. All these little things add up to a perfect picture of the woman that means so much to him and Archie is slowly realizing that it might be the best idea to tell Betty about his still pending answer about his future at the Navy.

He turns his face to her in the dark, his mind racing while he tries to find the right words to say, silently hoping that his best friend might have the answer to the question that has been haunting him since the moment Luke brought him his letter for Syria.

_Betty, I don’t know what to do;_ he wants to say. He wants to hear her point of view about all of this… and maybe he wants to make a decision which is tied to her answer to his many questions.

_I don’t want to go to Syria. But I don’t want to let Luke go alone._

But there is one thought that stands out in the mess he created in his mind.

_If you tell me that there is a future for us… I will choose Atlanta. I will choose to stay in the States to get the chance of a future with you._

That’s a truth Archie only starts to realize in this very moment. He would go to Atlanta in a heartbeat if that would mean he could have some sort of future with Betty by his side. Even though it’s still hours away from here, he would find a way to return to her.

There are many questions inside his head when Archie is about to open his mouth but he gets interrupted when he can suddenly feel Betty moving closer to him. The words in his mind fade away as Betty’s arm clings around his body and he can feel her head slowly resting on his chest and he hesitates for a moment, not quite sure how to react to this new kind of closeness.

It’s been years since Betty hugged him in an intimate moment like this. And Archie knows that their current relationship doesn’t involve sleeping in each other’s arms at night.

But when he finally gives in and closes his arms around her body, pulling her a bit closer than before, he knows that in this night, both of them overstepped the fine line they have been dancing around these past few weeks.

Maybe he isn’t the only one who needs this kind of closeness. Maybe Betty is feeling the exact same thing.

At least that’s what Archie hopes when he closes his eyes, his face buried in her hair, her fingers clinging to the shirt he’s wearing.

And the moment Betty starts to relax in his arms completely and he can feel her drift off into sleep, Archie knows.

_I love her._

That realization doesn’t hit him as hard as it did back in High School. This time that feeling washes over him like an old friend and he welcomes it with an aching heart.

_I still love her._

The scent of her shampoo, the feeling of her arms around him, the absolute perfection of this moment seems to pull Archie back to the ground, away from the chaos inside his head.

_Maybe it’s that simple;_ he realizes. _I love her. And maybe that’s the only answer I need._

**•••**

Archie get’s woken up from a quiet noise the next morning.

The sun is already up when he opens his eyes and blinks against the light while he realizes that the sound is just a muffled voice coming from the bathroom.

The red-haired man lifts his head, realizing that Betty isn’t lying beside him anymore and he’s brushing Betty’s voice aside as a possible phone call with Alice or Polly. His head falls back onto the soft pillow as he reviews the moments he spent with her last night and he remembers the feeling of finally getting to hold her like he used to before everything fell apart four years ago.

The break-up in New York was a mistake.

That’s not the first time Archie confesses that realization to himself. He used to believe that letting Betty go all those years ago was the right thing to do. The last four years were filled with the constant need to remind himself that he made the right decision and that he wouldn’t be able to give her the life she always deserved.

But then he came back to Riverdale but things got even more complicated. Seeing Betty happy in a new relationship was everything he ever wanted for her… but it still hurt like a knife in the heart.

The constant lying and pretending that Betty us just the friendly neighbor who used to be his best friend got even worse when Evan Campbell left the town. Then this whole friends with benefits thing started and thinking back about it now, he probably should have known that it was just some twisted way to get close to her again.

And now he is here, lying in her old bed. The same bed they used as a trampoline when they were children, in the same room they used to play some silly games in.

To Archie, it feels like the last few months were just a rocky road he had to walk to finally get to this point, and now he’s here, finally seeing clear.

He loves her… and maybe she still loves him too.

Archie tries not to think about that too much when he slowly gets out of the warm bed. Betty is still talking on the phone on the other side of the bathroom door but even if he wanted, Archie isn’t able to understand a single word. He’s putting on the clothes he left on window sill last night while his eyes get stuck on the old pictures he already threw a short glance at yesterday.

Now he’s finally taking the time to take a proper look at the little photos Betty glued against cork board right above her old writing desk.

There is a picture of the both of them when they were like 14 years old, playing some old card game on the floor of his living room. There is another one which is similar to the ones he kept in his old house where he is sitting in his dad’s car and she is smiling at him through the opened window. He has to take a step to his left to take a closer look at the last photo of them where they are lying on opposite sides of his couch, they faces meeting in the middle of a small, yellow pillow, both of them smiling into the camera.

It’s the first time Archie doesn’t feel sad while looking at old pictures of him and Betty.

Maybe because he finally knows that the deep feelings he has for Betty, he was afraid he lost over the years are still there and for the first time in what feels like forever, he is trying to be optimistic about their future.

_I need to tell her how I feel. And I will choose Atlanta. I will choose the possibility of a future here in the USA, and not at the end of the world._

That’s the only thought on his mind when his eyes move further to his left and he reaches Betty’s old bookshelf. He knows that the many little notebooks which are leaning against the wall are her old diaries and he would open the gates of hell if he would dare to take a look at one of them.

But right when he is about to turn around again, his eyes catch a glimpse of something very familiar.

He freezes in place while a part of him is convinced he is only seeing ghosts right in front of him.

_But this is real._

His eyes are starring at a little, golden-red, plastic ring.

The same ring Archie used to propose to Betty in second grade.

The same ring he left her here when he drove off to the Naval Academy five years ago.

It’s more than weird to find something again years after you’ve seen it for the last time and Archie can’t take his eyes off the little ring right in front of him.

He reaches out, slowly at first, and when he picks the little ring up, he notices the piece of paper right beside it. At first, he wants to ignore it but the second he recognizes his own handwriting on top he knows almost immediately what this letter is.

It’s his own. It’s the letter he left with the ring on top.

He doesn’t even have to open the letter to know what he wrote all those years ago… he will always remember the written words he left her here.

**_The ring is a symbol for the good times we had together._ **

**_And I don’t just mean the last few weeks. I mean our childhood… the adventures._ **

**_It’s supposed to remind you that no matter what will happen, you still have a happy place to return to._ **

**_The ring stands for your home, Betty. The ring stands for Riverdale._ **

The last part of the letter was the most important one to him and it’s also the part he remembers the best.

It’s almost ironic that he is finding the ring and the letter the same day he realizes that he is still in love with the girl he gave them to a few years ago.

His eyes fall to the ring in his hand, his lips slightly parted, his eyes wide like he can’t believe that he is holding this little thing between his fingers.

_She kept the ring. She kept the letter._

And suddenly, everything seems possible to Archie Andrews.

Because maybe, this is the sign he has been waiting for all this time.

Maybe she kept them because she still loves him too.

While he is still stuck in the many, whirling thoughts inside his mind, the bathroom-door behind him gets opened and Betty steps into the room.

“Oh hey… you’re already up”. Her voice sounds surprised and a bit lower than usual and he turns around while she speaks, hiding the ring in his hand.

“Hi”. He sounds a bit strange and he knows that but there is nothing he can do about it with the ring inside his fist and the view of Betty dressed in her night-clothes and her long hair wrapped up in a messy bun.

Seeing her like this makes it even more clear to him. _I love her._

He clears his voice while he tries to find something to say but she speaks before he can even open his mouth.

“So when exactly are you leaving tomorrow?” Her question sounds a bit weird as she walks past him and he watches how she searches for something else to wear in the almost empty closet behind them.

“2 pm”. His answer is a short as her question while Archie realizes almost immediately that something isn’t quite right with Betty this morning. He can see it in the way she keeps looking and anything else but him, or the sound of her voice when she is speaking. “Betty… is everything alright?”

His question is making her turn around and he watches how a half-hearted smile appears on her lips. “Yes, of course…”.

He could laugh about her answer. _You mean, no of course not, huh?_

The blonde girl grabs one of the old summer dresses out of the closet before she turns to her bed.

“You know I never really got the chance to tell you that I’m glad about Atlanta”, she suddenly blurts out, her voice still shakier than usual. “I mean… to be honest, I was kind of afraid that they would send you somewhere dangerous… but I’m relieved that you’re going to Atlanta.”

This time Archie can’t hide the confusion on his face and he’s glad that she isn’t even looking at him right now. “Yeah… about Atlanta… listen Betty, I want to talk to you about something…”.

His choice of words is finally forcing her to turn around to him and there is something unrecognizable in her green eyes that makes him hesitate for a moment.

The ring in his hands seems to weight a ton right now and he can feel his heartbeat inside his chest while he tries to find the right words to say. “I’ve been thinking about us, Betty… and our relationship… the past few weeks we spent together… and I have been thinking about the future a lot in the past few days and I thought about our past as well and…”. He damn well knows that the words he is speaking are coming over his lips like a total mess but there is no way Archie is leaving this town without telling Betty how he feels about her. He won’t make the same mistake twice. “… and I know we started this as a friends with benefits kind of thing and believe me when I say I truly believed that this would turn out okay in the end… but now that I’m leaving, I realized that this meant so much more than just…”.

“Stop”.

Her interruption comes fast and shaky and when he looks her in the eyes he can see the pure fear and shock painted inside them. “Please stop, just… stop”.

Some golden hair strands are falling over her face when she shakes her head, her right hand slightly hanging in the air to underline her words while she closes her eyes for a moment.

When she looks back up to him he can feel the confusion but also the sadness in her words. “Archie… what are you doing?”

Her question seems to be honest and he stares at her for a long moment, like the answer is the most obvious thing in the world. “I’m trying to tell you that the last few weeks meant more to me than just sex, Betty. I’m trying to tell you that I still have feelings for you”.

“This was supposed to be meaningless”, is Betty’s reply. This time there is a hint of anger lingering in her voice. “This was just closure.”

“Oh, common.” Archie can’t hold back the quiet laugh that is coming over his lips. “This was never _closure_ Betty and we both now it”.

It looks like this time she doesn’t have a fast reply lingering on her tongue so Archie keeps talking before she can shoots back again. “We tried to label this as closure but you and I both know that it never really felt like it. We… we tiptoed around the elephant in the room for far too long now and I think it’s finally time we’re speaking the truth, Betty. _I_ want to speak the truth. And the truth is that the feelings I have for you never really left… I didn’t notice that soon enough, but I’m sure of it now. And I know that I will leave for Atlanta tomorrow… but when you’re feeling the same thing, I swear to god I would do anything to make this between us work over distance this time and…”.

Before she can even respond anything he can already see on the expression on her face that she doesn’t even want to hear the words he is saying – she looks like she is trying to run away from his confession.

“And then what?”, she finally replies with heat in her voice. “We would be stuck in the exact same situation as we were four years ago. We would be in a long-distance relationship. And we both know how that ended the first time…”.

“You can’t compare our relationship now to the relationship we had four years ago, Betty. We’re older now. I wouldn’t do the mistake I did in New York again. I would never leave you on this rooftop today”.

“Maybe”, Betty agrees this time. “But you did it back then.”

There is pain in her voice but also a dismissive look on her face that tells Archie she is just trying to push him away again.

“So this is all about New York?”, he replies a bit breathless. “We are still not past that? We’re still fighting about that night that happened four years ago?”

She stays silent, her lips pressed together as her eyes fall to the ground and he shakes his head in disbelieve, noticing that she is only trying to hide herself behind the never-ending story of their tragic break-up.

“Betty… tell me what’s going on inside your head…”, he pleads but her eyes stay on the floor between them. “Tell me if you feel something for me”.

“We can’t change the past, Archie. There is only the future… and I don’t see how we can make it work this time”. She is avoiding his question and they both know it.

“You didn’t answer my question”.

“Why should I?”

“Because I love you”.

Archie is tired of speaking around the real problem but they are both a bit shocked over his abrupt confession. His voice is echoing through the room for a long moment, ringing in his own ears while he can see the endless emotions in Betty’s face.

„I love you Betty… I think a part of me loved you since the day I met you. And that part never stopped loving you. Not during High School… not during the past four years… never“. He can see on her face how taken aback she is by his words and all of this might be improvised and a bit straight away but Archie needs her to hear this.

„ _God_ …“. Her first word is just a whisper and she turns away from him, her face slowly turning into a sad grimace. „Why are you doing this now Archie… why now…“. It seems like she is talking to herself instead to him and he wonders why she is getting so emotional this quickly.

„Betty…“. He opens his mouth before he speaks, tries to find something to say that will make this situation better but she interrupts him before one single word can come over his parted lips.

„I’m going to New York“. She turns back around to him while she speaks and he isn’t even able to react to her blunt statement. It seems like her statement is more like a confession to her and Archie can see the tenseness all over her face.

„You’re going to New York“, he repeats emotionless, his words more a question than an answer.

There is a tear in her eye when she adds. „He… he called me“.

_He._

Archie stares at her for a moment before the puzzle in front of his eyes finally starts to built a picture. Her hesitant answers, her weird behavior, the telephone call a few minutes ago…

He doesn’t even have to ask who exactly she is talking about.

„He called“, is all Archie says, his words an empty repeat of Betty’s.

„I… haven’t heard from him in weeks“, Betty explains. „I haven’t spoken to him since he left after Veronica’s wedding… and now he called me back“.

„I don’t understand…“. Archie’s response is slow while his eyebrows form into a confused line on his forehead. „I mean… he left… you guys broke up…“.

A deep breath comes over Betty’s lips as she tries to get her shaky voice under control, her arms slowly wrapping around her own body as some sort of self-defense. „When he left… he told me to find out what I want… but I thought it was over when he never called back, I thought it was final at some point, but then he called this morning and…“.

„So…“. Archie holds his empty hand in the air while he speaks while Betty’s words echo through his confused mind over and over again. „… was that the reason you slept with me in the first place? You wanted to find out what you want?“

„No“. Her answer is stronger than before. „No, Archie, that wasn’t the reason.“

„But it makes sense“, he interrupts her with a low and steady voice. „That’s why you wanted to call this closure.“

„That’s not true…“.

„Then tell me what it is instead!“ This time his voice gets louder than before, nit able to hide his true feelings anymore. „You sleep with me to… to say goodbye? To get closure? Or to prove yourself that I’m not the one you want?“

Betty’s voice breaks when she answers. „That’s not fair, Archie“.

„You’re right, it’s not“, is his simply answer as his eyes lock with hers again, both of them nearly going insane under the immense pressure of the moment.

„It’s not fair that I’m telling you that I love you now…“, he adds while he takes a small step in her direction. „And yet I’m standing here, asking you to give me an answer to the omnipresent question we keep asking ourselves for twenty years now“.

She is only one feet away from him when he looks directly in her eyes, his heart beating as fast as the blood is rushing through every single vein of his body. „Do you love me, Betty?“

Her face turns away from him and she is closing her eyes like she wants to shut him out of her head completely. „I’m going to New York, Archie“.

„That’s not an answer“.

„But it’s the only answer you will get“. She turns back to him so he can look her in the eyes while she speaks. „Evan needs me right now. His father had a heart attack.“

That’s when the entire feeling of the conversation starts to shift.

„He… he is in the hospital, he’s fine. But I still… I just need to be there for Evan. I owe him that much“.

Betty takes a deep breath as Archie stares down to her.

„I’m so sorry“, he whispers with shock all over his face.

„It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known“.

It stays silent for a while and Archie tries desperately to fix the while situation with some wise words to say… he can’t find them.

“God, I… had no idea”. He closes his eyes, his heartbeat slowing down a bit while he is trying his best to clear his mind. There are so many questions flying through his head and as sad as it sounds, Betty’s new information only brought up more of them.

“Betty… I need to know what all of this means…”, he breathes, his eyes slowly opening again, meeting her pained expression right in front of him. “… I need to know if that’s the only reason you’re going to New York… or if…”.

“I can’t give you the answer you want”. Her interruption is a callback to the night of their first school dance together and he flinches a bit while he is forced to listen to her words.

“Then give me another answer… anything. I need to know if you’re still in love with Evan or if…”.

“I don’t know”. There are tears welling up in her eyes. “Believe me Archie, I tried my best to figure all of this out… but the truth is I don’t know what I feel for Evan, I don’t know what I feel for you. But why… why do we need to discuss all of this anyway? The future is already carved in stone, isn’t it? You’re leaving for Atlanta; I’m leaving for New York. Maybe it’s time to accept that we’re going different paths in life and…”.

“You can’t make it that easy, Betty. You can’t just take the easy way out this time. You can’t stand here, telling me that you don’t even know what you want and turn around like going back to New York is the only option for you. Because it’s not”.

The tension in the room is almost suffocating and Archie hates how numb he feels while he stares at the many emotions on Betty’s face.

“And what is the other option?”, she replies, her voice sharper this time. “Ignoring everything that went wrong between us and jumping back into our old mistakes? We’ve been there Archie, you were the one who ended it because of that four years ago. And now I’m seeing it the way you did. Our relationship wasn’t the fairytale I wanted it to be, it was just a long road with a dead end!”

This time her words are meant to hurt him, and he knows it by the way she is glaring up to him. There is so much pain and sorrow lingering in her broken voice that is finally reminding him of the little ring in his closed fist.

“If you feel like that… then why did you keep this?” He is reaching out his hand, showing her the little ring of his opened palm while he can watch how her green eyes widen in shock.

Her mouth falls a bit open like she wants to say something but there isn’t one single word coming over her perfectly curved lips.

“You kept the ring”, Archie explains a bit drier than before. “You kept the one thing that symbolizes our romantic relationship.” He twists the little toy between his fingers, watches how the sunlight form the window reflects in the deep-red color of the little heart-shaped diamond.

“That doesn’t mean anything”. Betty’s response is weak, her defense slowly falling apart.

Archie turns the ring another time, his eyes rising from his hand back to Betty.

There is a shadow on her face, the usual emotionless mask she uses to make people believe that she doesn’t really care about anything. But Archie isn’t just some stranger to her. He never was.

“Like it or not, but I gave you this ring as a promise, Betty. This ring symbolizes a lot of things. Riverdale. Home. Love. But most importantly it symbolizes you and me.”

He pulls his arm in as he takes another step in Betty’s direction, knowing damn well that this might be his last chance to prove her wrong. “We… have been hiding behind lies for far too long. And I don’t want to pretend anymore, Betty. I know that leaving all of this behind might be the easiest way. But I don’t want to lose you again… but even more than that, I can’t keep living like this.” His own voice feels like a lump in his throat while he speaks. “This endless back and forth… I need it to stop now”.

He closes his eyes for a moment while his fingers cling around the little ring in an almost painfully way. When he looks at Betty again, he can see the same fear on her face that is painted on his own.

“I’m only asking you this once, Betty… I need a clear answer because I simply can’t do this anymore without knowing where I stand”. 

A moment of silence passes by between them before he finally dares to finish his question, his voice nothing more than an echo from his fears. “Do you think that there is a future for us?”

The worst thing about the following minute isn’t the absolute silence that follows his words… it’s much more the way he can already read Betty’s answer on the overwhelming pain on her pretty face.

It looks like she is fighting with herself before she finally manages to bring some words over her lips. “No”. Her voice sounds empty and somehow strange. “Not… not now at least.”

She reaches up, her soft fingers wiping tears from her red cheeks. “I need to figure this out… I need to go to New York. And you will go to Atlanta… and maybe someday, we’ll find a way…”.

“Don’t do this Betty… don’t run away from your problems”. Archie sounds as defeated as he is feeling right now and a part of him wants to sink on his knees right here and now to show his devastation. He is tired of feeling like this.

“I can’t keep living with a _maybe_ , Betty”, he explains with his head shaking a bit while he speaks. “We’ve done that for so long. I won’t be able to leave without a real answer”.

A heartbreaking sniff comes over Betty’s lips, followed by a devastated and minimal, sad smile on her face. “Well, then I’m sorry. Because this is the only answer I can give you right now”.

_This hurts._ This hurts so much, that Archie starts to wonder if this might be the price he finally has to pay for the mistake he made in New York.

His eyes fall down to his hands and he stares at the ring between his fingers like it’s the only thing in the room which is painted in color.

“So this is it”, he says, his voice nothing more than a question and a statement spoken so quietly that he isn’t even sure Betty can hear it. “This is how our story ends? We’re stuck in a moment without a real ending for the rest of our lives while you return to New York and I leave for Atlanta? No real closure, no real answers?”

An ironic and heartbreaking smile appears in the corner of his mouth. There’s no warning when everything changes…

“I’m sorry”.

He looks back up when Betty speaks, and he realizes that the worst thing about all of this is that he can see how she is still fighting with herself in this very moment. He knows that she isn’t lying to him… but hearing the truth isn’t much better.

“It’s funny…”, Archie blurts out with a sad smile while he lifts his hand once again, holding the little ring between him and Betty like it’s the last thing that is connecting them in this chaotic moment. “… I guess I should have kept my promise. Maybe I should have asked you again when we turned eighteen… maybe it would have saved us a lot of trouble”.

When Betty’s eyes fall on the ring between them he can see a single tear run down her cheek and Archie knows he has to leave this room before he decides to make a dumb mistake like falling down to his knees and begging her to share her life with him.

But he just feels tired. And broken. And he doesn’t want to keep waiting for something that feels way too far out of reach.

So, he reaches out and wants to give Betty the ring, returning it to the only person it ever truly belonged to. But Betty shakes her head, the tear falling down on her shirt, her voice as broken as the look on her face. “I can’t… I can’t keep it. Not anymore”.

This feels like the final nail in their coffin. _She doesn’t even want to keep the ring anymore._

“Okay”. Archie doesn’t know what’s even left to say at this point as he is letting his hand fall down again, the ring stuck in his clenched fist. “… _okay_ ”.

_This… this if worse than anything I ever felt before;_ Archie realizes. This is worse than New York. Because this time, there is absolutely nothing he can do save them.

His gaze falls down to Betty, their eyes meeting one last time and his heart seems to stop for a second when she is about to say something. _But she never does._

There are so many emotions hidden in the green color of her eyes, so many words, so many broken promises written all over her face and Archie takes them all in one last time. He memorizes the golden hair strands which are falling over her skin, he takes in the color of her rosy cheeks and her slightly parted lips. He takes a look at the tiny freckles around her nose and the way her dark eyelashes frame her big eyes in the most beautiful way possible.

_And then he takes a step back._

“Then… I guess I wish you good luck in New York”, he can hear himself say but he isn’t sure where exactly those words are coming from. He just knows that he has to leave before he isn’t able to tear his eyes away from her anymore.

One last time he is allowing himself to take a look around the room he is standing in and his heart hurts when he stares out of the window, right to his own house at the other side of the glass.

There are so many memories buried in everything around him… in this room, in the ring inside his hands, in the pictures on the wall or in the books on the shelf behind him. They are everywhere.

And now it’s time they become nothing more than that. Just memories. _Nothing more._

His eyes find Betty’s one last time and a broken smile appears in the curve of his mouth. “Goodbye Betty”.

He looks at her for a moment, watches how the expressions on her face shifts from sadness to pure despair but he turns away and leaves the room before he breaks completely.

Maybe it’s stupid to hope that she will follow him outside… but it still hurts like hell when he leaves through the front door of the Cooper’s house and there isn’t anyone calling after him.

_Right here;_ Archie realizes as he walks through the front yard back to the street. _Right here was the place where it all went wrong._ _The night I rejected her after prom. Maybe everything that happened after that was already doomed to end in flames anyway._

His house is empty when he walks through the front door. Sarah, Jerry and Luke are all at the Hotel to pack up the few instruments they left there over the last few months and Archie keeps standing in the empty hallway for a solid minute, still trying to process the painful conversation he just went through.

This is it. This is how his story with the girl next door will end. They will go separate ways after everything they went through, and Archie can’t quite understand how everything burned down in flames so easily.

Maybe he should cry. Maybe he should scream. Maybe he should do both. But the truth is, Archie doesn’t want to do any of these things right now. There is a numbness inside him that seems to consume every other feeling inside his body and there is nothing left than the shock in his bones and the ring that is still trapped inside his clenched fist.

_I can’t give you the answer you want._

It’s ironic that he had to hear these words today… after all, he was the one who said them in the first place.

After what feels like forever his feet finally start moving again and he ends up walking through the empty house, his eyes not really focusing on anything specific.

_It’s funny;_ he thinks. A _ll I wanted for the past few weeks was closure… and now that I got it, I want to take it all back._

His gaze drifts over the empty living room and the empty kitchen, his heart sinking to his feet when he thinks about the fact that he will leave this town behind for good in just one day.

He will leave this house.

He will leave Riverdale.

He will leave Betty.

And all of these things combined are tearing on his heart in the very moment he reaches his old room. He stares at the empty space in front of him, looking at a room that used to be his whole life but isn’t more than an empty place now.

When his eyes find the window on the wall across the room he finally breaks.

Every emotion, all the pain, all the love, all the happiness and all the sadness is rushing down on him, reminding him of what he lost and what he is about to lose forever.

_And it hurts._

Without knowing it, Archie finds his connection to his own body again and he throws the ring in his hand through the room, watches how the little thing hits the wall right beside the window before the plastic falls to the floor with a quiet, metallic sound.

His breathing is heavy when he stares at the little, golden ring on the empty floor - such a small thing in such a big room - and he could cry about the irony of all of this.

His timing was never right. _Never._

It wasn’t right when he proposed to Betty in second grade, it wasn’t right when he left for the Navy. It wasn’t right when they had to go different ways five years ago and even now, after all this time, he can’t seem to find the right time to get everything right.

_Maybe it’s better this way;_ he wonders, even though the pain in his heart tells him otherwise. His dark eyes are still lingering on the golden ring in the middle of the room when he turns around, not caring to take another look at the window behind him. _Maybe it was always supposed to be this way._

Archie made the mistake to believe that Betty would wait for him in Riverdale when he would return from Atlanta from time to time. He had hoped for a future where he could make another long-distance relationship work this time, not only because he is older now but also because this time he is absolutely sure about what he wants.

He wanted her.

But that vision of his future with her by his side is losing every color in this very moment, leaving nothing but a grey picture in his mind.

It feels like Archie is slowly losing every connection to his hometown second by second, until he can’t take it anymore. All the reasons for him to stay are gone now. He doesn’t have a reason to return to Riverdale when Betty is gone. And it slowly dawns on him that he doesn’t have a reason to go to Atlanta as well.

Atlanta was his plan for a possible future with Betty.

That future has now turned into a silly dream, a fantasy he is willing to shut out of his head in every possible way.

There is absolutely nothing that is holding Archie back from living a life without having to care about other people. He could go wherever he wants… maybe somewhere where Betty’s face won’t haunt him all day long.

Somewhere where he would be distracted enough to burry the memories of her deep inside his soul.

He pulls his phone out of his pocket before he can think twice about it, his fingers searching for the already saved number of the central human-resources department of the Navy.

_Archie Andrews would have to go to the end of the world to forget Betty Cooper’s pretty face._

**•••**

Archie gets invited to a farewell party at the Hotel lounge the same day. It’s Veronica who calls him around midday, calling him over to the Hotel with a happy and excited tone in her voice and Archie decides that distracting himself is probably the best way to kill his remaining time in this town.

His head was about to explode with thoughts an hour earlier, but when he is driving down the streets of Riverdale the voices inside Archie’s head are silent. It feels a bit like the calm after the storm… or maybe it’s just the numbness inside him that causes the quiet chaos inside his mind.

When he gets to the Hotel his three best friends are already sitting at the well-known bar they used to spent many nights in the last few months.

„Archie! We’ve been waiting for you…“, Sarah says, waving him over to the little group and he sits down between her and Jerry while Reggie hands him a beer over the black counter.

„You look… tired, man. Is everything alright?“ Reggie sounds partly amused, partly concerned and Archie brushes his question away with a simply „I’m fine“.

_But he isn’t fine._

And it only takes one hour and a few minutes until he tells Reggie the truth.

Veronica, Sarah, Luke and Jerry are sitting at one of the many round tables, laughing over the soft music that is playing in the background, when Archie decides to tell Reggie what happened a few hours earlier.

The black-haired guy looks at him in a compassionated way. „Damn, I’m sorry to hear about that…“. He turns around to grab another round of drinks from behind the bar and reaches Archie on of them.

„I think it’s time that I admit something“. There is a small smirk in the corner of his mouth while he speaks. „Remember the whole fix-my-car-for-the-wedding thing?“ He opens a bottle of beer before he takes the first sip. „I really wanted that car for the wedding, that’s true… but I thought that it would help you and Cooper to sort out your problems. I never liked this Evan guy… when they moved here to Riverdale he was always nice and polite… and Betty and Veronica spent a lot of time together, so I had to see this man nearly every evening before you showed up in Riverdale. But I never really liked him… so I tried to get you and Cooper involved with this whole car thing… I’m sad it didn’t work out in the end“.

Archie only stares at him for a solid minute before he replies something. „You’re unbelievable Reg“. He isn’t mad about Reggie’s coupling attempt… he’s mad that it didn’t work out.

„Like I said… I’m sorry, man“.

There are many possible replies to that Archie could say. But he ends up taking another drink, closing his eyes while he prays that the alcohol will wash his pain away.

**•••**

When Archie wakes up the next morning, he finally decides to tell Luke about the newest turn of events.

He meets the blonde guy in the empty kitchen and Luke is eating the sandwiches they bought for today when he turns around to Archie. „Hey Andrews… ready to say goodbye to this house once and for all?“

Archie leans against the doorframe before he answers, his voice steady and neutral when he finally speaks. „I’m going to Syria with you“.

For a moment Archie fears that Luke will choke on the piece of sandwich in his throat or that the look of shock will never leave his face again. „You’re… _what?_ “

„I called the human-resources department yesterday… they mailed me the flight ticket. It’s the same flight as yours“.

Luke puts the sandwich in his hands down on the kitchen counter beside him.„What… how… what changed your mind? I thought you wanted to go to Atlanta because of Riverdale and Betty and…“.

It seems like the look on Archie’s face is answer enough as Luke’s voice fades away. „What happened?“

„I’m done with Riverdale“, Archie simply answers. Right now there is nothing left than a twist of madness and an echo of the sadness he felt the day before and all he wants to do is leave this town and his hopes behind.

„Archie, are you sure that…“.

„I am“. There is nothing doubtful about his answer. „I thought about it. I want to go to Syria.“

The shock on Luke’s face slowly gets replaced with acceptance, even though he seems like he isn’t happy about it at all. „Have you told your mom about this?“

„I’ll call her later“.

Silence follows until Archie takes a step in Luke’s direction, his hand up in the air, inviting him for a hug. „Common, Luke… this will be like the good old times. I just know you would have missed me as your roommate there“.

Thats the first time a hint of a small smirk appears on Luke’s face. „Keep dreaming… as far as I know, we won’t get a room there… I think we’ll be lucky if we get a tent“. And then he finally returns the handshake and gives him a short hug.

„There is one other thing you need to do… and that might be worse than telling your mom about this“, Luke says when they part again.

„What do you mean?“

Luke grabs his sandwich again, his eyebrows raised as he answers. „You have to tell Sarah“.

**•••**

Well… telling Sarah is… a bit difficult.

„What do you mean you won’t go to Atlanta with me?“

The brunette girl always had a high voice but not Archie fears he might lose his ability to hear after this conversation. They are standing in his empty living room, packing up the few pillows and blankets they slept on the last night and while Archie tries to handle the conversation with Sarah, Luke and Jerry are just standing at the other side of the room, watching the spectacle like it’s a new blockbuster.

„I couldn’t tell you earlier, Sarah. I just made the call yesterday“.

„That’s the worst thing about it! Don’t you know that it isn’t smart to make such important decisions last minute?! It’s sad enough that my boyfriend is flying to the end of the world just like that, but now you’re leaving as well?“

Sarah brushes her own hair out of her face in an angry way while she seems to calm down a little bit. „I’m sorry… I guess I’m just mad that all of this is ending today“, she confesses, this time with a lower voice. Her dark eyes wander around the empty room when she adds: „I mean this was our home for the last four months… and I will miss Vortex like crazy“.

„We will play again someday, you know that“, Archie replies with a soft smile and he is glad when a small smile is appearing on Sarah’s face. „It’s not like this is the end of the world. We will see each other from time to time… even if it’s just one weekend per year“.

„Wow… well that sounds depressing“, the brunette girl laughs and that’s the moment she turns around to Luke, smiling at him through the empty room. „But you and I will see each other more often, right? Because I’m pretty sure I will forget how your stupid voice sounds like after a few weeks without hearing it“.

The four of them break into laughter, even it’s just for a short moment.

Because they all know that this happiness won’t last for much longer.

Because just an hour later, they are already stuffing their packed bags in the different cars in front of the house while Archie walks up the stairs one last time.

It feels weird to leave this house for good. These walls aren’t just his childhood… they also symbolize his life in Riverdale. And leaving this house behind feels like leaving everything else behind as well.

Archie tries to ignore the beating of his heart against his chest when he takes one last look into his empty bedroom. The midday sun is shining through the window from the other side of the room and Archie tears his eyes away from the glass before he can even get the chance to see something on the other side.

_He wouldn’t survive seeing Betty on her side of the window… not today._

And there it is again… the numb feeling inside his chest that keeps reminding him of the reason why he is running to the end of the world in the first place.

Betty Cooper.

It’s easy to pretend like his decision has nothing to do with her in front of his friends or his family. But right now, right here in his old room Archie is allowed to be honest to himself.

_I have to leave… I have to leave or I will be stuck with this pain forever._

He has to go, he has to leave her behind. There isn’t another option this time, even though his heart breaks over and over again every time he keeps thinking about the sadness on Betty’s face the day before.

_I can’t keep waiting for her._

So, he closes his eyes for a moment while taking a deep breath. When he looks up again, he is about to turn around but then he spots something small glittering in the sunlight on the floor right in front of his window.

He takes a step forward, then another one. And then he realizes that the little reflection is coming from the ring he left here yesterday.

At first he wants to turn around and leave the ring behind like the rest of the house. But the moment he wants to do that, he realizes… _he can’t._

Maybe because the pain of his conversation with Betty still feels too fresh, maybe because there is so much of his past self bound to this little ring in front of him.

And before Archie knows it, he is kneeling down, grabbing the ring with his right hand.

_He can’t leave it here… and he won’t._

So, he buries the ring deep inside the pockets of his jeans while he tries not to think about it too much.

The moment he has to leave through the front door of the house is the hardest one.

Luke and Sarah are quietly saying goodbye to each other on the sidewalk a few feet away from him while Jerry is already sitting in his car as Archie closes the front door of the Andrew’s house for the last time.

He takes one last look at the front porch before he walks down the steps to the front yard, his heart lying heavy inside his chest when he turns around one last time.

„When will your mom arrive to get the rest of the stuff?“, Sarah asks softly when he reaches the street.

„Next week“, is Archie’s simply answer as he throws his last backpack on the backseat of his car.

Sarah nods and Archie turns to Jerry’s car to say goodbye to him while Sarah and Luke are kissing each other goodbye in the background.

„I’ll visit you in Maryland when I get the chance“, Archie smiles to Jerry. „I bet that the Middleton Tavern is still doing its karaoke night“.

„I wouldn’t miss it“, Jerry answers while he waves one last time. „See you Archie. Be careful in Syria“.

„I will“. Archie watches how Jerry’s car drives down the street and when he turns around he is already getting pulled into a hug by Sarah.

„Promise me that you’re taking care of Luke over there, okay?“, she whispers into his ear. „And I want you to be careful. Don’t do anything stupid. And just to let you know… I’ll kill you when one of you guys come back home with an injury or something“.

There is a smile on Archie’s face as Sarah ends the hug, even though this goodbye is making him more sad than he thought he would be. „I promise, Sarah. Take care of yourself in Atlanta“.

„I will“. She winks at him before she gets inside her car and Luke walks up beside him.

They’re both standing there in the shadows of the trees on the sidewalk in front of his house, watching how Sarah waves at them one last time before her little, red car disappears down the street and leaves them with nothing than absolute silence.

It’s not always this quiet in Riverdale… and that’s one of the things Archie will miss the most.

„I guess it’s time to go“, Luke beside him says and rips him out of his thoughts.

„Yeah… let’s go“.

They don’t speak when they sit down in Luke’s car and the blonde guy starts the engine. But Archie knows that his best friend is feeling the same thing as he does in this very moment.

Because Luke just left Sarah behind.

And as much as Archie wants to ignore it… he is leaving Betty behind as well.

He can’t help but to take a look out of the window when Luke pulls the car on the street, Archie’s eyes finding the Cooper’s house right in front of him.

He doesn’t even know if Betty is still in there or if she already left to the Lodge-Hotel… all he knows is that even after their many fights and their harsh arguments, it feels terrible to let his past with the blonde girl next door go just like that.

It feels bad.

It feels weird.

But all above… it feels wrong.

But none of that matters anymore, does it? Because Betty already made her choice and he is doing his own right now.

So, he tears his eyes away from her house when Luke finally drives down the street and Archie simply stares out of the window, the little ring in his pocket suddenly feeling much more present than before.

Archie knows that distance is the only thing that will help him get over Betty this time…

… but he can only pray that the end of the world will be far away enough.

He closes his eyes when they pass the „You’re leaving Riverdale“-sign at the end of the town and he can hear his own heartbeat inside his ears.

„Goodbye Riverdale“, he mumbles, his voice nothing more than a silent prayer. _Goodbye Betty._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will answer the reviews to the last chapter tomorrow after work!! Thank you to all the people who took the time to leave a kudo or a comment, this really means the world to me!! ❤️  
> So... Archie is leaving and Betty will leave as well. I know it might seem a bit dark right now, but I promise the story will be a (hopefully good) rollercoaster until the final chapter!  
> I would love to know your thoughts on this chapter or the story in general!  
> Wish you all a lovely day - stay healthy!!!

**Author's Note:**

> It would mean the world to me if you could leave a comment or a Kudo!!  
> I also hope you liked this chapter... there is a lot more to come and I'll try to end the story before season 5 airs :) 
> 
> I'll answer the reviews to the last chapter of Part 2 tomorrow because I'll fall asleep any minute and I have to get up super early tomorrow.  
> Hope you all have a nice week - the net chapter will go online next week :) 
> 
> Here’s the YouTube trailer for this story: https://youtu.be/Lfcp_JLnCBg  
> Goodnight!!


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